In Warm Blood
by Torashii
Summary: After being constantly bullied, Tsuna decides to fight back and ends up killing another. Soon he becomes stronger and stronger, pairing up with the famous Alauda to become a well known assassin. Abandoned.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I've been wanting to write for this fandom for a while '^'

Warnings: Rude language - some may offend, violence, kinda OOC sarcastic Tsuna.

This deviates from canon where Frederico didn't die and so Tsuna continued undisturbed by Reborn/Vongola. He also isn't entirely useless like in canon.

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><p>Honestly, Tsuna had expected getting away with murder to be a lot harder. It wasn't like he <em>wanted<em> to get caught, but he'd figured there'd be a lot more trouble than carving the local gang crest into the body of his victim and leaving amongst the rubbish piled in the alleys of the shadier part of town. Bodies like this showed up every couple of months as a result of the warring gangs in the area – or so most people assumed. The gangs didn't often threaten the lives of civilians; in fact some commended them for getting rid of some of the trash that roamed the streets at night, and so very little effort was made into dealing with deaths like these. With this reasoning, Tsuna admitted he'd done a fair job of covering up his little accident with Takada, as fair as he could for a first time murderer. The twelve (going on thirteen) year old sighed and hoped at least the next one would prove a little more of a challenge.

Wait a minute. '_The next one?' _Tsuna decided to halt his thought process so he could fully understand the implications of his actions. Not a day before he'd been an ordinary twelve (going on thirteen) year old, and now he was looking forwards to his next murder. It was surprising how very normal events had somehow led to this outcome.

XXXXX _flashback_

Tsuna winced as he cleaned the last of his scrapes and covered it with a small and unassuming flesh-coloured plaster. His last set of cuts and bruises had barely faded before his bullies had kindly provided him with more. Tsuna was starting to consider charging them for the never-ending need to buy more plasters. Sure he was fairly small, soft-spoken and decidedly feminine in appearance. And he might have blushed _that one time_ when he got close to a shirtless Yamamoto in the changing rooms one Monday afternoon, but _still_ – he didn't deserve the constant harassment of his peers. Not that people had ever needed a reason to bully him, it had been a problem he'd faced since entering nursery. Often he wondered if he created some sort of magnetism that attracted negative attention and trouble, but most times he'd dismiss it as being surrounded by a bunch of idiots.

Shaking his head, Tsuna put away his small medical kit and stretched his muscles. It was still early yet, so he decided to cook himself a proper breakfast before school. Nana, his mother, was away on a two day, three night trip to the hot springs she'd won in town the other week. Although she had protested leaving him by himself, Tsuna had insisted she go. Lord knows she needed a break from raising him single handedly. Turning on the stove, Tsuna let his mind wander to the other person who was supposed to be raising him alongside his mother. Sawada Iemitsu: oil worker (abroad) and bastard who hadn't bothered visiting for at least four years. As he cut various vegetables to put into his omelette, Tsuna decided Iemitsu was an arsehole like the rest of the people who had abused him over the years. He was sure neglect counted as a form of abuse, not that Tsuna actually needed the man the pay attention to him.

Speaking of the undesirable people in his life, Tsuna thought back to the bullies he was constantly facing. You would think after years of being beaten, he would develop his fighting skills. While Tsuna now possessed extraordinary fleeing skills instead, it couldn't be said he didn't fight back. It was simple reality that a twelve year old could only do so much against a gang of at least five upperclassmen. Individually he was confident enough to take them on, but five at once often left him overwhelmed and overpowered. Not to mention there was a new one, that guy Takada. Tsuna decided within minutes of meeting the sumo club member (while giving him a polite greeting and a smile of course), that he looked like a boiled egg gone wrong. It astounded him how someone could shave his (egg shaped) head and flaunt his excessive body mass for a sport that involved tackling another, equally chubby and sweaty boy with pride. Let it be said that as these thoughts ran rampant through Tsuna's head while politely greeting the other boy that his personality had somewhat been warped by the years of excessive bullying.

Takada had cornered Tsuna after P.E. and had arrogantly proclaimed Tsuna a 'homo faggot' and scum for being so. Tsuna had rolled his eyes and assured Takada that there was no need to fear, since he wasn't into sweaty sumo boys who looked like deformed eggs, and promptly earned himself a punch to the gut. Tsuna thought the entire confrontation was ridiculous. He was bisexual at the very least. Either way, Tsuna had gained a new acquaintance, and he was eager to break off their relations as soon as possible. He had enough people on his arse (figuratively of course) and he wasn't keen on taking on more. With a sudden curiosity, Tsuna eyed the small knife he had used to cook with. It was sleek – entirely metal from tip to hilt – and wonderfully sharp. It would easily fit in one of his pockets and go unnoticed. In a moment Tsuna had wrapped it up protectively in some cloth he found laying around and shoved it in one of his many pockets, before making his way outside and onto his school. It would purely be for scare tactics of course; people often left you alone if they thought you were crazy enough carry around a knife. '_Not to mention how Takada would probably shit himself straight out of fear'. _Tsuna thought the idea would be vastly amusing. Evidently his personality was warped more than originally thought.

As predicted, Takada had cornered him at the school gates once all lessons were over. Surprisingly, though it should have been expected, he could see the five older classmen he usually had to endure before exit the school building. There were no other students around – seeing as he had to leave later for failing to produce homework for any of his teachers – and being caught between several of his tormentors was not an ideal situation. Before the five at the gates registered that their target had shown up, Tsuna ran in a dead sprint, passing the shocked teenagers and started gearing towards the older part of the town where streets were narrower and harder to navigate. He was vaguely aware that Takada had sprinted after him almost immediately and so he'd hoped Takada would be easily lost in the winding streets of the older section of Nanimori. As fate (if such a thing existed) would have it, Takada was familiar with the increasingly shady part of town, and soon he had run Tsuna into a dank alley, cluttered with several rubbish bins, before cornering the skinnier boy.

"It's remarkable how someone of your stature managed to chase me here, Takada-_san_." Tsuna smirked at the panting boy who still had managed to block his route of escape, apparently unfazed by the turn of events.

"Shut it you little faggot shit." Takada was still panting heavily, yet he had the strength to knock the wind out of Tsuna with his beefy fist.

Tsuna, who was slumped against the wall at this point, merely huffed indignantly in reply. '_Honestly, can't they think of new insults?' _Takada leered down at the boy before turning away as if to make his subsequent speech more dramatic. The egg shaped boy stood up straight, pacing in a line as if he were on a stage, or some army superior, about to give the new recruits a lashing.

"Honestly, having people like you at my school makes me sick. It's bad enough you ogle other dudes; you have to go around with that pretty face of yours like some slut, trying to attract more boys. It's sickening."

Tsuna ground his teeth in anger, while still holding his midsection. It was one thing to be a repressed little fucker, but to blame it on him was both pathetic and entirely infuriating. Takada seemed to be gearing up to say more, but Tsuna decidedly had enough. Shifting a little, his hand came across the outline of the small knife in his pocket. Normally his lack of hesitation would be surprising, but angry as he was, Tsuna didn't think twice before slipping out the blade and burying it up to the hilt in the back of Takada's skull while the boy was still in the middle of coming up with more insults for the brunet. A moment of shocked silence permeated the air before the larger boy slumped and fell forward. Wincing in disgust, whether over the dead body or Takada's entire existence, Tsuna grasped the hilt of his knife before giving a sharp tug to dislodge it from Takada's skull. It took a minute, but eventually the knife was free. With a grimace, Tsuna wiped it on the larger boy's clothes before heaving him over to take a look at his face. It looked like the fall might have broken his nose, but Tsuna decided it wouldn't make much difference to the boy– no, the corpse. It was starting to make him a little sick, but he figured the full impact of his actions hadn't sunk in. That or he was more fucked up than he thought. Gazing at the still-warm body, Tsuna was struck with an idea, and bringing the small knife once more, he pressed it into the boy's forehead and started carving. Later, when Tsuna found himself cleaning his knife, checking over his appearance, double checking the area for clues of his presence and making his way to the more populated areas of Nanimori unnoticed, he decided he wouldn't mind a next time.

'Next time' came sooner than he thought. Tsuna had been idly lying on the riverbank near the outskirts of town. Usually he would be home around the time the sun started setting, but as the light slowly faded from his surroundings, Tsuna decided he'd rather watch the sky. His newest bruises ached, and his legs were tired from running to the river in the first place. Even after he'd killed Takada, it seemed there were plenty others to take his place. Soon the boy heard the sound of raucous laughter sounded sharp in the air. Three teens passes along the street above him, and it wasn't until Tsuna made eye contact with one that he recognised Mochida sempai and two of his lackeys.

"Hey you guys go on ahead, I gotta take a dump." The older boys made equal sounds of disgust and amusement before leaving a grinning Mochida behind. The other boys hadn't noticed Tsuna. '_Way to make this easier', _they boy thought, idly tracing the hilt of his hidden knife. Since the incident with Takada he'd taken to carrying it around, almost hopeful that he would eventually need it. Soon after, Mochida lay twitching, blood leaking from the gash stretching across his throat. After dumping the body in the river, Tsuna wondered where this was taking him. He didn't want to be a mass murderer, but with two innocent lives on his hands at the tender age of twelve, it was steadily heading in that direction. '_Not that Takada or Mochida were innocent.' _Tsuna had known (or at least found out afterwards) that Takada had been harassing several boys, going as far as assaulting them in the worst of ways. Mochida was part of a gang, which wasn't such a well kept secret. His involvement with assaulting civilians, and most commonly, teenage girls, wasn't as well known. It was no big secret either that Mochida was after Sasagawa Kyouko, and although Tsuna had long gotten over his crush for the girl, he still felt the need to protect her. '_If you put it that way, I sound like some sort of fucked up vigilante_', Tsuna snorted at the thought. He was sure his morality was strong enough that he wouldn't kill innocent people, but a self-satisfying figure of justice was not his ideal career choice. He didn't owe it to anyone – in fact they should owe him for getting rid of the scum. '_Maybe I'll start charging them._' Dusting himself off, Tsuna idly thought he sounded more like a hitman than a vigilante while he started his journey back home.

XXXXX

Whether through some ironic twist of fate, though more likely pure coincidence, Tsuna had his first encounter with a hitman not two weeks after his run-in with Mochida. It was nearly entirely dark outside his school and if not for an intense bad feeling in his gut, Tsuna was sure he'd have been dead. He raised his hand to his hair, feeling the frayed ends of a couple of locks where the bullet had passed through. Unfortunately, by throwing himself to the side without looking, he managed to tumble down a set of stairs, breaking his arm in the process – if the pain was anything to go by. Fortunately, he was able to take cover in the alcove besides them. He could hear the assassin approaching, moving down the stairs quickly. Tsuna almost heaved a sigh of relief when the man continued forwards, under the assumption that Tsuna had continued down the corridor, before choking on it when he saw another person round the corner. The assassin whirled around at the sound, only for the newcomer to rush forwards, tonfas raised to smash them into the assassin's head. Under the attack, the unknown man crumpled as if he were a puppet and his strings were cut, his gun clattering to floor.

"Hibari sempai."

Hibari glanced between the man on the floor and the injured boy besides the stairs. Tsuna kept a calm facade, despite the hint of fear Hibari could glean from the other boy's eyes. Whether it was fear from almost being killed, or fear of himself, Hibari didn't know nor did he care. Neither did Hibari question how a student he had never met face to face before knew his name.

"Ah, I'm S-Sawada Tsunayoshi. Nice to meet you." Hibari grunted in reply, too busy observing the unconscious man. He didn't mention it wasn't the first assassin he found going after the boy (it was around the fifth), but it was the first he let slip so close. Nobody targeted _his_ students on _his_ turf and got away with it. From what he heard from the stupid herbivores, Tsuna was distantly related to a large, wealthy family. Hibari couldn't care less about the boy's connections and would opt to stay out of it, until it became apparent that even the boy was aware of them. Hibari was ruthless, yes, but Nanimori was his kingdom, and the unaware herbivore in front of him did not do anything to deserve to be left to mercy of those who would prey upon him.

From besides him, Hibari heard the groans of the third person present as he woke up. He would have sighed, if Hibari was the kind of person to sigh, for having to deal with these herbivores. He would have turned to finish the job too, except he saw something entirely unexpected in the brunet in front of him. The fear in the herbivore's eyes disappeared, shifting towards a blood lust that _screamed_ carnivore_._ With surprising speed, the boy whipped out a blade, taking aim and letting it fly straight into the forehead of the awakening man. It wasn't until a few moments later that the boy seemed to have realised what he'd done, quickly looking towards Hibari with panic in his expression.

"Ah, uh, H-Hibari s-sempai..."

The skylark inwardly smirked with a new-found interest of the boy in front of him. '_Sawada Tsunayoshi.'_

"Clean up this mess. If I find bloodstains on my school I'll bite you to death." Hibari allowed his smirk to show on his face before he turned and left. '_What an interesting herbivore.'_

XXXXX

Tsuna's back _ached_. He had spent a good two hours dragging the (heavy) corpse out of the school, making sure to take the route with the least chance of getting caught, only for Hibari to turn up and take it off his hands. Tsuna didn't know what the older boy would do with the body, and he wasn't entirely keen to find out, despite how useful the information could be in the future. He had to spend another hour retracing his path to clean up any stray spots of blood that may have stained Hibari's precious school. Let it not be said that killing was all fun and games. The one lesson Tsuna did gain from the entire ordeal, asides from the difficulty of getting rid of bodies (and ignoring the enigma that was Hibari Kyoya _entirely_), was that he needed a lot more training. He wasn't entirely sure why someone would target him, but it seemed likely that the gang Mochida was involved with wanted revenge. Tsuna couldn't come up with a logical reason otherwise, but if he'd known true dynamics of a gang he'd have realised that Mochida was a pawn whose existence was probably not even missed – that is, assuming his gang leader even knew about his death.

Either way, Tsuna needed to train. He started taking daily jogs, starting small but quickly building up to a two hour course that would lead him halfway up a mountain. He practised throwing knives more; thankful he'd done some practise before the assassin attacked, even if it was merely for boredom. Every other Sunday he would take a train that led him closer to Tokyo to go to a shooting range under the pretence of having regular study sessions. If his mother wondered what her son was doing waking up at 5 AM, or why there was a constant _thunk thunk thunk_ coming from his room, she never asked. He desperately wanted to train in hand to hand combat, but was struggling to find a place to do so or someone to teach him. Any local place that taught martial arts did so purely for formal competition purposes, and didn't even breach the level he wanted to learn at. Things were starting to look depressing on that front.

Tsuna was reading a book on hand to hand combat as he made his way through the school grounds, and sighed. A sudden burst of warning in his gut barely gave him time to look up and step back before a metal tonfa swung downwards where his head had been, ripping the book from his hands. Wide brown eyes met steel blue ones, yet neither of their owners spoke. Tsuna was busy contemplating whether Hibari had finally decided to punish him for killing someone (because no matter how you looked at that, it was odd right?) and how far he could run away this time before the older boy spoke.

"You will not learn through books, Herbivore." The brunet had to take a moment to realise what the prefect was even referring to before he replied.

"I can't really find another way to learn." Tsuna was apprehensive, wondering whether the raven haired boy would accept that as a decent excuse, or why he even _cared_ that Tsuna still couldn't fight head on.

"Come." The younger boy barely registered the order before Hibari had turned and started walking away. Making a snap decision (which seemed not to be the way he made all his life decisions), Tsuna swallowed his questions and followed.

He found himself in a large, open gym. Tsuna wasn't aware his school had facilities like the ones he found in the gym, although from what he remembered from bits of rumours he'd heard, the room would belong almost exclusively to Hibari – and the disciplinary committee by extension. He warily eyed a particular bench-press that had at least seven large weights on either end and wondered what Hibari could possibly want him to do there. Fortunately (or possibly unfortunately) the prefect bypassed the entire range of intimidating exercise machines and made a beeline towards the large ring in the centre of the room, Tsuna trailing after him with a sinking feeling in his gut. He would likely need extra bandages that night.

Tsuna had to restock his small medical kit the next day. Hibari was strong, but more than that, he was _ruthless_. Tsuna wondered if he even was holding back. He seemed to want to push Tsuna to the limits, and then some, and only until the brunet could barely stand did he let up, abruptly declaring their 'lesson' over.

"Same time, tomorrow."

Tsuna soon learnt that Hibari was definitely holding back. The first time Tsuna managed to land a hit on the boy (about a week after their first session), he grinned and increased his speed even more. The brunet then found out that Hibari's smile was to be even more feared than his glare. If not for the feeling in his gut that helped read his opponent, or the odd day or two of rest that Hibari allowed, Tsuna was sure that training with the prefect would have been hell. He never dared complain, for the few times he managed to strike or counter attack against the older boy, the fierce rush of pride and satisfaction left him thankful the prefect bothered to train him. His mother seemed thrilled he had joined a club (as he told her), and even more so that he managed to make a friend. Tsuna didn't bother to refute her claims seeing how happy the woman was, and every now and again he wondered if the raven haired boy considered them friends.

Roughly four months after their first lesson, Tsuna and Hibari could be often found exchanging blow for blow in the private gym of Namimori middle. Kusakabe, the second in command for the disciplinary committee, often came to watch the two. Tsuna may not have known, but Kusakabe could understand the massive feat the young brunet had achieved by progressing so far in such a short amount of time. Tsuna had started to enjoy their daily spar, and he was sure the other boy did as well, so it came as a surprise one day when he entered the gym to find Hibari waiting with a black cloth clutched in his hands rather than the customary attack as a greeting.

"What's going on?" The small boy cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"Put this on." Hibari held out the cloth, which Tsuna received without question. "You have good instincts, but you don't use them properly. From now on we will fight with you wearing that."

Tsuna nodded, slipping the cloth over his eyes and giving it a secure double knot at the back of his head. He didn't express his discomfort at the complete lack of sight, knowing it would be pointless to do so, but that didn't mean he was entirely happy with the change in program. Edging towards the ring once more, Tsuna jumped in and faced what he hoped to be Hibari. Without warning, an attack came from his left, knocking the boy off his feet. He barely had time to orientate himself again before another attack came – which he dodged by a hair's breadth. The brunet nearly gulped, feeling rather than seeing that the prefect had a smile on his face.

XXXXXXXX

Hibari rarely took interest in people. He was a carnivore, and only herbivores flocked together and made packs of 'friends'. Sawada Tsunayoshi however was no ordinary herbivore. When they had first met, he had trembled like the frightened animal he seemed to be, only to finish off the other herbivore in a way that was entirely _not _herbivore. He fought Hibari head on, and while he still was like a hatchling, the brunet showed a mass of potential. He didn't act like a carnivore should at school – when others insulted him he would barely respond, which Hibari found most annoying – but when he saw other weak herbivores in trouble he would attack without mercy.

The weaklings started to leave the Herbivore alone when Hibari went out of his way to pick him up after school every couple of days. At least they understood not to go near what was his. Either way, the prefect had trouble classifying the strange brunet. After much deliberation, he started referring to Tsuna as 'the omnivore' in his mind, but had yet to say so out loud until it was sure the omnivore would not betray his expectations.

"Herbivore."

Tsuna jumped back, trying to regain his breathing back to normal. Hibari had interrupted their spar with that one word. Tsuna indicated his head to the side in question.

"You should get yourself a weapon." The prefect considered what would suit the young brunet. He himself fought head on, and with brute strength – the tonfas were perfect for him but it would not suit the omnivore. Tsuna fought differently, it was almost like dancing how he twisted and twirled around his opponent, counter-attacking just as much has outright attacking. He had less strength than Hibari, which he made up with speed and a lithe, flexible body. His intuition was a strong weapon, but it was not enough. The prefect wanted to see the boy become stronger.

"Ah." Tsuna suddenly seemed embarrassed all of a sudden. "I was actually thinking... daggers? Or knives really. They feel most comfortable to me."

Hibari nodded. Daggers would suit the younger boy. Soon they returned to their spar.

The next day, Tsuna arrived to find Kusakabe holding a sleek, black box. It was fairly large, and Tsuna could only raise an eyebrow in question. The older boy grinned, waving Tsuna over with one hand. He set the box down, pressing hard on either side until the lid clicked open. Inside lay an array of knives – at least two of each. Deadly silver blades almost gleamed under the light of the room, practically asking to be used. Tsuna immediately zeroed in on a pair.

Looking entirely unlike the rest, the pair of tactical combat knives had ten inch blades. The matt black handles bled into the blades – which were also black almost entirely throughout, rimmed with silver. They were neither curved nor grooved but were perfectly smooth and straight, giving the knives a symmetrical outlook and a dead centre balance. The brunet didn't hesitate before he grabbed the pair, immediately ignoring every other knife within the box. Experimentally adjusting his grip a few times, Tsuna whirled the knives around before giving a slash to an imaginary opponent.

"I want these."

Kusakabe whistled, grinning once more. "Hell, I didn't get around to saying anything yet." He laughed. "Consider it a present from Hibari-san, and nice choice Sawada-san."

Almost entrapped by his new toys, Tsuna barely thought before giving his usual response. "I told you to call me Tsuna."

The disciplinary member shook his head but made no comment. In his opinion, Tsuna was fast approaching the level of strength Hibari had, and should be treated with the same amount of respect as the prefect. Furthermore, not many people could fight Hibari _and_ get along with volatile teen.

"Now there are few basic rules about knives. Keep your knife dry, keep it clean – and all of it, not just the blade. You can oil it too, to prevent rusting. Most importantly, keep it sharp."

Tsuna nodded, evidently agreeing.

"Hibari-san will be coming in thirty minutes. That should be enough time for you to get used to your knives."

The brunet nodded again, setting out straight away into practise with his new favourite weapons. When Hibari arrived thirty minutes later, brown eyes dancing with barely-contained delight greeted him.

XXXXX

Tsuna didn't quite remember exactly when they became assassins. He didn't remember how he started including himself on Hibari's jobs, at the very least. It didn't come as a surprise that the prefect accepted hits on people; in fact it was more of a surprise to the brunet that the older boy took orders from people at all, even for the funds he used for his precious disciplinary committee. After having seen the house his parents left him, Tsuna would have thought Hibari would have had no need to rely upon himself for money before he realised that it was just like Hibari not to want to rely upon others – even his parents – for support.

It was on one of those jobs that Tsuna met the explosive teen known as Gokudera Hayato. Hibari had gone ahead to hunt his prey, leaving Tsuna to pick off whoever he wanted as long as he didn't get in the prefect's way – which was essentially the set up they agreed upon when Hibari first took Tsuna along with him on a job. The mansion they were in had a typical Italian style from the 19th century, which wasn't surprising considering that they were in fact, within Italy. As much as Hibari despised leaving Namimori and Japan, he would despise it more if the underworld noticed his kingdom because he drew attention to it by only taking hits there. And so they took a small jet that was built more for speed than luxury to Italy for their jobs, later which Tsuna found was another part of Hibari's inheritance.

After having cleared the first floor, Tsuna found his way to the basement, picking off each person he came across. They chose a day when almost the entire house (sans the boss, who wanted to spend time with his woman alone) was absent for a particular celebration, leaving almost no resistance. The whoosh of air and subsequent squelch his throwing knives made as they found their target in enemy heads and chests was almost inaudible in the dark stone corridor. Only the following thunk of a heavy body hitting the floor broke the silence until the brunet picked up the sound of harsh and heavy panting. Following the sound, Tsuna found himself outside a wooden door that was almost hidden in the gloom. He winced at the loud creak the door made when opened, but soon forgot about it upon seeing the room's resident. A silver haired teen lay slumped against the opposite wall, thick ropes binding his wrists to the wall, keeping him upright. Emerald eyes glared fiercely at the intruder, despite the obvious fatigue within them.

"What do you fuckers want now?" His voice was raspy, through lack of water or excess shouting, Tsuna couldn't tell.

"Why are you here?"

Confusion was evident upon the other teen's face. "Who are you?"

"I asked first."

Emerald eyes narrowed in anger for a moment before they closed and their owner sighed in resignation.

"These fuckers have been questioning me obviously. They think I know some shit about my dad's family." The silver haired teen spat. "My dad practically handed me over to them."

Tsuna took a moment to process the information before replying.

"Well it looks like they managed to piss someone off. My friend upstairs is doing his job of getting rid of the boss of this place, and I'm just getting rid of the rest."

The bomber snorted. "So you're here to kill me."

"What?" The brunet blinked. "No. The job was to get rid of the boss and as many members as possible and you've just told me that you're neither."

"Are you stupid?! I've seen your face, how could you just let me go?" The response came almost as a growl. Gokudera couldn't believe that anyone would simply let him off just because he was innocent. That was practically unheard of in the underworld, especially from an assassin. The bomber refused to believe that someone would be so kind without asking for something in return. "What do you want?"

"Nothing." Tsuna shrugged, going over to pick cut through the binding rope with one of his smaller knives. They fell to the floor, as would have their captive if Tsuna didn't reach out to catch him. "Do what you want now, go home or whatever. You're free."

The bomber stumbled to his feet, the confusion and disbelief in his face morphing into sadness and anger.

"I don't have anywhere to go. I'm not going back to a place that would cast me off like this."

"Then come with me."

Gokudera blinked once. Twice. "A-are you serious?"

"Sure." Tsuna gave a smile. "Oh by the way, what's your name?"

The bomber almost laughed. "Gokudera. Gokudera Hayato."

"Nice. You can call me Tsuna." He grinned, unbelieving of his good luck.

Later, when Hibari and Tsuna were meeting up after all the work was done, the prefect gave a glare to his companion's extra baggage before looking to Tsuna for explanation.

"This is Gokudera Hayato. They were holding him captive in the dungeon."

"Hn." Hibari turned his back on Tsuna and started walking away. "You can start hunting by yourself then, omnivore."

"Did your partner just abandon you?" Gokudera was wide-eyed, already starting to feel guilty for breaking up the assassin duo. Tsuna simply laughed in response.

"No, no. Hibari has his own way of saying things." The bomber looked confused. "Think of it as approval for independence. He likes working alone, but he's been letting me get the feel of things with him. I couldn't do it on my own anyway since I don't have my own Kusakabe-"

"Kusakabe?" The silver hair teen interrupted without thinking.

"Pretty much his right hand man. Do don't think we just barge in and kill people do you? We need to gather info and plan and all that stuff." Gokudera nodded, before a thought occurred to him and his eyes widened.

"You want me to be your right hand man?" The bomber asked incredulously.

"Well yeah, if you want. I've heard that you're practically a genius, who wouldn't want you?"

Gokudera's answer was cut off upon their arrival at a sleek, black car. Hibari was already inside, glaring impatiently at the duo while another, older teen – Gokudera assumed this was the 'Kusakabe' – was smiling somewhat sheepishly. Tsuna sighed and turned to look the taller boy in the eye.

"I don't care what family you came from, who your parents are or even what people said to you in the past. None of that matters. I don't want a subordinate, I want a partner, and I want that partner to be you." The brunet looked a little sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "You don't know how many times Hibari had to hit me to shut up about getting you on my side after I first heard about you."

Gokudera sputtered indignantly, and in the following months he denied with vehemence that he _blushed_. Tsuna held back another smile before he offered the teen his hand.

"Partner?"

"Tch. Idiot." He grasped the offered hand.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I'm amazed I updated this within a week '^'b

xxreader - I've got the plot planned out .w. And yeah, I want it to be fun

Koreijutsu-shi - Thank you /o/ I'm aiming to update it every Wednesday

Sky Veneziano - Knives are the best yo. Thanks

Guest#1 - Eh, sorry it isn't. If I were to make a pairing it'd probably be 1827 '^' If someone wanted a pairing I could include that and have background pairings, but it wouldn't take much away from the plot

Sayaku Shiina 'Shi-Chan - Sadly I have to limit the gore so it doesn't go into M category, but fighting scenes shall come '^'b

Guest#2 - Haha, thank you yo

rainbowsandcottoncandies - .w. Danke

Kuroi Rin - He is, but it's sort of difficult to separate strong Tsuna from sarcastic for me '^'; And thank you yo

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><p>"Caelum-sama, how did the mission go?" A silver haired teen greeted the slim figure that seemed to have emerged out of the shadows. He was clad in a near skin-tight, charcoal bodysuit that had black protective plates over the chest, forearms and knees. A sturdier silver plate ran down the back of the suit, protecting the wearer's spine and several straps and pouches for weaponry lay about his person.<p>

"Hayato, I told you to call me Tsuna when I'm not on a mission." The assassin grumbled, flopping down upon the seat next to the bomber before removing the black mask that covered the lower half of his face. It was a sleek black made of a light metal alloy with discrete circular filters on either side that allow it to double as a gas mask as well as a means of keeping his identity secret. Tsuna reached back and tugged the band that held his hair back, sighing contently as he ran his hand through it.

"But Caelum-sama is Caelum-sama."

"Stop calling me Caelum."

"Aether-sama–"

Tsuna shot a glare at the other boy, not missing the hidden amusement he found in the bomber's eyes. Gokudera was both his friend and right-hand man. Despite being equals, the teen had somehow developed a massive amount of respect for Tsuna, never calling his by a name that didn't end in the respective 'sama' suffix until Tsuna finally threw a fit and was thankfully reduced to 'Tsuna-san' in casual conversation. It was hell during their last two years at middle school – with the bomber exploding at anyone who he felt disrespected his "Tsuna-sama". If Hibari hadn't forced them both to attend, even if he did allow them long absences for jobs, Tsuna would have dropped out years ago. Thankfully, High school was not compulsory so at sixteen, he was entirely free – as was Gokudera, who was surprisingly only born the month before him. Tsuna was only glad that Gokudera saw him as a friend as well as a boss (though how he became a boss from a partner still eluded him), otherwise his overly polite demeanour would have driven Tsuna mad.

"Tsuna-san." The bomber sounded only slightly reluctant as he relented. He'd memorised every alias that Tsuna went by, and could tease the boy endlessly by refusing to call his name. "How was the mission, Tsuna-san?"

"Good. It was a success. Thanks Hayato." The brunet stopped running his hand through his hair after feeling tiny specks of liquid clinging to the strands. Drawing it back, he saw the tell-tale redness of blood and grimaced.

"Ugh, I need a shower. Can you put my mask away?"

"Sure thing, Tsuna-san."

The brunet rolled his eyes before hoisting himself up. He drew all his knives and weapons before placing them carefully upon the coffee table that held the laptop that Gokudera had been paying attention to before Tsuna arrived. He would clean then later. After graduating middle school, he and Hayato moved in to a spacious, two bedroom flat in a town near Namimori. Tsuna hadn't wanted to entirely leave the area given that both Hibari and his mother still lived here, though the latter was under the assumption he'd gone to work in Tokyo. They still kept in contact, and he'd visit every so often.

"Remind me to text Nana when I get out." Tsuna barely stopped to hear the sound of affirmation before stalking to the bathroom and quickly stripping out of his assassin get up. Stepping into the shower and turning the temperature on high, it wasn't long before the hot water relaxed all his muscles, washing away the dirt, sweat and blood from his last mission. He let out a long, drawn out sigh as he slowly relaxed, working through the kinks in his shoulders. Showers were one of the few things that let him unwind after a job, especially after a particularly gruesome one like the last had been. Human traffickers. Tsuna shuddered. He'd never be able to understand just how someone could put other humans through such torture.

"Tsuna-san." Gokudera's call faintly echoed through the house. Quickly rinsing himself off and stepping into a pair of soft cotton trousers, Tsuna made his way back to the other teen, one towel still drying his hair.

"What's up Haya-chan?" The bomber made a face at the nickname, but made no effort to reprimand the other boy after years of putting up with the brunet's odd nicknames. Tsuna grinned and sat besides the bomber, glancing at the laptop in front of them. Several tabs of various emails were open.

"You told me to a keep a look out for missions concerning the Vongola." The brunet perked up at the mention of Vongola, eyes narrowing and playful demeanour vanishing.

"The Vongola asked for a hit?"

The bomber shook his head. "Someone's been asking for hits against them."

Raising an eyebrow, Tsuna turned towards the laptop, glancing at one of the requests. It was against one of the important members of the CEDEF, yet the brunet let out a sigh of relief when it wasn't the member he'd been looking out for. He went to the other tabs, his frown deepening at each request, eyes narrowing at names he recognised until finally he came across a hit on the man he'd been trying to simultaneously avoid and monitor. Sawada Iemitsu.

"This isn't a case of one person from Vongola pissing off someone else. Whoever sent these has a grudge against the entire family, it's like anyone related to them is being targeted." Tsuna frowned, worrying his lip in anxiety.

"You're freelance, so there's no need to worry Tsuna-san." Gokudera forcefully inserted some cheer, unnerved at the reaction of his partner and best friend. The brunet shook his head, smiling bitterly.

"I'm the son of the external advisor."

"T-the young lion of Vongola?" Tsuna grimaced at the name.

"Sawada Iemitsu. I don't want anything to do with that bastard, hence why I completely avoided Vongola. He still thinks I'm a sweet, innocent civilian." The words were spat out, as if merely relation to the man made Tsuna sick. Gokudera could only nod soberly, completely understanding complicated familial relations.

"Anyway, I'll be fine. 'Sawada Tsunayoshi' is supposed to be in Tokyo, and this apartment is under a different name. The only one who even knows I moved out is Nana–", Tsuna quickly halted, eyes widening. He swore.

"What is it, Tsuna-san?"

"My mother. Quick Hayato, get the bikes." Tsuna had already jumped up, fetching his keys and returning to his room, quickly throwing on suitable riding attire. He grabbed a helmet, throwing another at Gokudera without looking before grabbing a random assortment of knives to be hidden on his person, and a sleek, black handgun he hid under his jacket. Quickly locking the door behind him, he ran down the stairs, Gokudera already ahead of them to prepare their motorcycles, before arriving onto the street where the bomber was waiting. Hopping on, Tsuna drove off with the silver haired teen behind him, cursing his father the entire way for leaving them without protection.

They arrived in Namimori near thirty minutes later, having broken the speeding limit the entire journey. Gokudera was worrying silently. He remembered hitmen appearing randomly throughout their short time at school together; he'd go crazy checking nobody knew the identity of 'Caelum' but each time Tsuna would pass it off as an attempt on Hibari's life, or someone with a grudge against the local yakuza. The bomber could understand why Tsuna didn't want to relate himself to his father if he had abandoned them, but the lack of information was worrying. He should have _known_ that Tsuna had another target on his back - being the son of the leader of the CEDEF was just as dangerous as being as assassin, and how could Gokudera protect his friend properly if he didn't even know what he had to protect him from? The bomber grit his teeth, hoping at least his partner wouldn't be pulled further into Vongola's mess.

They rounded the last corner before coming to a halt. Tsuna was prepared to face an unidentified amount of enemies in order to save his mother but his hope shrivelled and died when he caught sight of his childhood home up in flames. Gokudera was snapped out of his musing by a sharp inhale of breath from the brunet besides him.

"Shit."

Tsuna barely heard Gokudera's comment before he was rushing forwards, intent on clawing his way in, on the miniscule chance that his mother was still alive. Strong arms gripped him from behind, halting his approach to the burning house. He could have gotten out of the hold, but not without injuring Gokudera and Tsuna wasn't gone enough yet to do that.

"Tsuna, get a hold of yourself." Gokudera rarely called him by his name, and the slight shock helped distract him from the desperate need to _do_ _something_ and the oncoming despair that followed the idea that maybe there was nothing he could do. Slowly, Tsuna relaxed in the hold of his best friend, feeling somewhat drained.

"Now. Can you sense anyone?" The young assassin frowned before concentrating on the mass of roaring flames before him. He'd forgotten about his uncanny sensory ability that could detect any living thing by looking for their innate flames. It was much harder to use on civilians but possible if he concentrated hard enough. Quickly, he searched the areas of the house, starting with the kitchen, for any hint, any clue of the small but warm trace of sun flames that belonged to his mother. As each room showed no signs of life, Tsuna become more and more worried. It was only after the last room - his own - showed up as a negative that he let his despair show.

"Gokudera I - I can't... S-she's not there." Tsuna was on the verge of panicking, and would have if only a shrill ringing hadn't started calling out. Gokudera quickly pulled out Tsuna's phone, glancing at it for a moment before a smile made its way onto his face.

"It's Hibari."

Tsuna blinked, quickly grabbing the phone and answering it before pressing it to his ear. He'd entirely forgotten about the older assassin's presence in Namimori.

"Kyoya?" Tsuna's voice was shaky, and if not for that he was sure the other teen would have berated him for using his first name so casually, even if Tsuna used it regardless of the other's protests.

"Calm down Omnivore. I have your mother." Tsuna heaved a sigh in relief, almost slumping to the ground as the tension left his body. Gokudera moved so the boy could lean upon him, which Tsuna gratefully did, shifting so they both could hear the conversation.

"Thank god. What happened?"

"Where are you?" Hibari blatantly ignored Tsuna's question, which Tsuna allowed in his relief that his mother was safe.

"Outside my house. Why is it on fire Kyouya?"

"Get out of there immediately. I'll be waiting at my house." Tsuna frowned but decided to comply nonetheless. Something was evidently wrong - or more wrong than his mother's house on fire.

"Hayato's with me." Hibari wouldn't let anyone in unless he'd invited them, so Tsuna was prepared to send the silver haired teen back to their apartment. Surprisingly, he didn't have to.

"Good, now both of you come." A moment later a series of beeps came through the phone. Hibari had hung up on them.

Tsuna blinked before motioning to Gokudera to follow. They each mounted their bikes once more and sped off, Gokudera still following since he wasn't as familiar with the route, but no longer at a breakneck pace. Thankfully the way to Hibari's house did not take long, and soon both the young bomber and young assassin stood waiting outside the large, imposing gates of the property. Every time Tsuna visited the mansion (because that essentially was what it was), he couldn't help but feel both impressed and worried about the fact that the house painted a large target sign on Hibari's back. Tsuna shook his head. Only Hibari Kyoya could handle being such an indiscreet assassin and survive.

Barely thirty seconds passed before the gates opened, allowing entry to the two teens. They rode their bikes in, Tsuna quickly discarding his somewhere near the front door, and Gokudera dismounting gracefully, straightening both bikes before following. The brunet didn't bother knocking when he knew that Hibari was expecting them. His impatience to see his mother and make sure she was entire unscathed overrode all formality. A tall boy with a large pompadour looked somewhat startled at their sudden entrance, but quickly overcame it.

"Kyoya-san is in the living room." Kusakabe nodded in respect to Tsuna and then Gokudera, both which were returned.

They arrived at the Japanese styled room to see Hibari sitting behind a normal low table, a cup of steaming tea in front of him. He casually wore a plain black yukata with a white obi, and looked the picture of serenity. Before Tsuna could voice his questions, the older teen cut him off.

"Your mother is resting in the guest room. I told her there had been an increase in vandalism lately."

Tsuna nodded, satisfied with the answer. He could convince Nana not to report the 'vandals' to the police, and leave it to Kyoya, who was pretty much the local law enforcement in all but name. He wasn't ready to tell her about the bloody world of the mafia, at least not before giving his asshole of a father one last chance to redeem himself and tell the woman what really was going on. If their lives were in immediate danger, that was the least he could do. Tsuna had a feeling that if he was the one to tell his mother, rather than his father, then some sort of irretrievable trust would be broken between the two. As much as he disliked the man, Tsuna wasn't yet prepared to ruin his marriage, not until he deemed it too dangerous for her not to know at least.

"What really happened then?"

"Mafia." Hibari grimaced. "I didn't recognise the family, but I took one of them to the basement to do some _questioning._"

The brunet assassin shuddered. Torture was a practise that no matter how necessary people deemed it in the mafia, he could never quite swallow. Sure he killed people, but he didn't hurt them while killing them, and he even rejected hits on decent people. Thankfully he could always count on Hibari to help him if he ever needed to extract information from someone. Tsuna much preferred the jobs he'd do for the prefect in return, and Hibari could satisfy his somewhat sadistic personality. The shorter boy indicated for Hibari to continue, the latter who frowned, but did so anyway.

"They were only lackeys. Each of them had been ordered to kill anyone associated with Vongola, but none of them knew the real reason why. Those weaklings decided to pick off the civilians first." Hibari spat the last line. He had always despised those who preyed upon the weak and unaware like cowards rather than facing someone who could actually fight back. "The only thing they knew was the word 'Gesso'."

Tsuna blinked. "Is that some Italian word I haven't learnt yet?"

"I wouldn't know." Hibari replied, almost petulant about it. Tsuna had taken to Italian like fish to water while he still struggled a bit, despite starting it earlier. Hibari was better at Chinese and surprisingly English, but Tsuna still beat him in French.

"It's a name. A relatively small _famiglia_, I'm not sure what sort of grudge they would have against the Vongola. I mean traditionally the Vongola protect small families from larger ones." Gokudera scowled at the two faces that were suddenly focused on him. "I'm mafia born, of course I know this stuff."

"Hn."

Tsuna grinned. "Ah Hayato, we would be lost without you." He winked, watching the bomber become flustered in response.

Gokudera was gearing up for a response when a knock was heard from the entrance to the room and Kusakabe's head appeared.

"Kyoya-san, there's a new request." Kusakabe had taken to calling Hibari's hits 'requests' so that it didn't imply that Hibari was being _ordered_ to do anything. Hibari gave him a look that explicitly said 'can't this wait?'

Kusakabe shook his head. "The request is for Tsuna-san."

The brunet in question blinked. "Eh Hayato, do I have any new requests?"

The bomber quickly checked his phone before frowning. "I don't see-"

"Tetsu." Hibari cut them off. The word was both a question and a command to explain.

Kusakabe grimaced. "I meant that the request is to target Tsuna-san."

XXXXX

The meeting room had a tense atmosphere surrounding it Despite the cheerfully sunny Italian weather outside, the three men each had dark, sombre expressions on their faces. There was nothing said, only a quiet mourning took place for the recent loss of their comrades. A man in his mid twenties finally growled in anger.

"Well? Are we going to fucking do something or not?"

"Xanxus! Don't be so disrespectful." A blonde man in his forties reprimanded the Varia leader, only to get a sneer in return. The last man in the room smiled at the two. He was aged, sporting silver hair and a wrinkled but kind face. Vongola Nono finally spoke up.

"No Xanxus is right. It may not have affected any of the upper ranks yet, but we cannot ignore the fact that someone is killing off members of Vongola."

"It's a fucking manhunt. Who'd you piss off this time, old man?"

"Xanxus!" Sawada Iemitsu, head of the CEDEF, hissed.

"What makes you say that, Xanxus?" Timoteo ignored the hissing blonde.

"I've done enough of my own to know." The Varia leader snorted. "If they had a grudge they would go straight after you. You aren't known to be exceptionally kind-hearted either, so they aren't killing people off to lure you out because it wouldn't happen." Xanxus ignored the dirty look Iemitsu gave him. "It's a declaration of war."

Timoteo smiled sadly at his adopted son. After it was revealed they were not in fact blood-related, their relationship had been strained. Even now the older man could see how agitated the Varia leader was that someone was attacking his family. After another moment, he inwardly frowned. Despite being the largest mafia family in the world, they were not under constant attack. In fact, usually the name provided protection against those who would fear invoking their ire. The old man couldn't think of any of their rival families resorting to this - an all out war with Vongola would destroy the entire mafia community - and they knew this. Also, it just wasn't their style. Any large family had some semblance of decency, and targeting grunt workers and associated civilians was one of the least decent things a mafia member could resort to. Any family who had to power to start a war with Vongola was either suicidal or very large and powerful, hence they were stumped as to who was picking off their members. No names or insignia had been left behind - simply the dead bodies.

"Timoteo, you should think of your son." The leader of CEDEF cut in, disrupting Nono's thoughts. "He is your last heir. Right now he's in France, but to may be better if he came back to Italy."

Vongola Nono nodded. "You should bring in your own wife and son, Iemitsu."

"It's okay." The blonde waved his hand in a placating manner, grinning. "My Nana and Tsuna-fish are safe. Nobody knows where they are."

Xanxus let out a snort, as if he didn't believe the older man in the slightest. He made to get up and leave, eager to start his own investigation into the manner, when Timoteo called him back.

"Xanxus, I would like you to be the one who retrieves Frederico, please. It would be most reassuring that way."

The Varia leader glared at his adopted father, but in the end made no protest. Continuing on his way, he roughly opened the sleek, wooden doors to the meeting room, snorting when silver-haired man fell through. Varia's second in command, Superbi Squalo looked somewhat sheepishly at his boss, before looking at the other occupants in the room where his expression morphed into a glare. 'He looks like a territorial little cat.' Xanxus mused, almost smiling at his best friend's antics.

"Get up, Trash."

For the second time that day (though the room's occupants were unaware of it), a phone rang out, interrupting whatever was to be said next. Xanxus glared at the blonde, who was the source of the irritating noise, but held back just in case it was important. Said blonde hurriedly checked his pockets before pulling out a small, red device. He looked alarmed for a moment before he quickly answered the call.

"What is it now, Oregano?" A silence was heard as the other person on the line answered. "What?!" The shout surprised the other occupants of the room, but the man's next words brought a dark look to their faces. "Did... did they find her body?" The CEDEF leader let out a shuddering sigh at what was presumed to be a negative response. "What about my son?" Xanxus narrowed his eyes, turning to look fully at the CEDEF leader to observe his reactions. "... I see. Call me if you get any updates. Thanks Oregano." The phone call ended, and Iemitsu sighed, turning towards the other occupants of the room who looked at him expectantly.

"Well?" Xanxus growled.

"They burnt down Nana's home." The blonde man swallowed. "And my son is missing."

XXXXX

"You better not touch Tsuna-san!" An agitated silver-haired bomber glared at the raven-haired assassin. Said assassin looked at Tsuna appreciatively, as if considering it. He smirked and the bomber growled.

"Kyoya, you're really not helping here." The only brunet in the room tried to placate his partner and simultaneously hold him back from launching at the assassin while glancing at Hibari somewhat nervously. He received another smirk for his efforts.

"Relax herbivore. I will not touch your mate."

Gokudera stilled, before turning a bright pink and resumed trying to strangle the prefect.

"His is not my mate." The bomber hissed indignantly. "He's my partner!"

"Hn." If Hibari was the type to grin, he would be grinning widely by now. "It's the same thing, is it not?" He heard a strangled sound in return, as if Gokudera choked upon his spit.

"I- I didn't mean it like that-"

The bomber's protests was cut off by a laugh and Tsuna patting him on the back. "Now, now Hayato, you're really not helping yourself here." He grinned, before turning to the bewildered Kusakabe, becoming serious once more.

"Do you know who requested it?"

"No, I don't. But we could trace the contact number they provided."

Hibari nodded, before making a gesture that indicated the teen was dismissed. Kusakabe bowed, before exiting the room once more.

"It's odd though." The bomber in the room frowned, before seeing the looks of his companions and continued. "Well even if you are related to-", Gokudera stopped, looking at Tsuna in question. The brunet waved him off.

"It's fine, he already knows."

Gokudera blinked, not sure how to feel about being the last to know his partner's personal information. He shoved the thoughts to the side for now, before continuing. "Even if you are related to the CEDEF leader, in the eyes of the public, you're still a civilian. There's no need to get a high calibre assassin like Hibari after you." Hibari seemed to enjoy the indirect appraisal of his skills. Gokudera pointedly ignored the amused look in his eyes. "I mean Nana is also related to Sawada Iemitsu, but they only sent grunts after her when logically you two would be under the same level of protection."

Tsuna grimaced at his implied relations to his father, no matter how true they were, before he turned to a frown at the other implications. "So I'm being targeted for something else? It must be big if they wanted Kyoya for it."

"You don't think they know that you're an assassin?" Gokudera asked, worried.

"If they did know, things would probably be a lot worse, if my dad doesn't murder me first."

"As of the herbivore would come close."

Tsuna smiled at the compliment. It was rare that the skylark didn't feel like insulting someone. "Well", he mused. "I know someone I could ask about it." Tsuna looked at the other assassin. Are you okay with following the trace of who asked for a hit on me?" While Hibari was a good friend, Tsuna knew the problem wasn't his, so there was little reason for the teen to help out.

"Hn. I will not allow anyone to use me for their petty plans."

The brunet almost grinned at the blatant (in his eyes at least) excuse the other assassin had given, but knew better than to do so. "Then that's sorted. I'll be finding out why I'm a bigger target than I should be, and Hayato, can you stay at home and keep things running? You can do independent information gathering for either of us."

"Fine." The bomber sighed. He really didn't want to be separate from his partner when there was an unknown enemy after them, but knew better than to insist to tag along after the last time. When they still hadn't been together long, Gokudera had been offended that Tsuna hadn't wanted to fight besides him. When he finally convinced the assassin to bring him along, he'd almost gotten the other boy killed covering a sniper for him. He took the lesson to heart, especially after he realised Tsuna wasn't doubting his combat skills, but highly valued his other skills that the brunet himself didn't possess.

"Thanks Hayato." Tsuna let out a wide smile in response, knowing how hard it was for the bomber to let him go out into danger alone.

"What herbivore are you going to ask?"

The young assassin faced Hibari and grinned. "Xanxus."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Haha... I'm late '^'; I added an omake as an apology

**Hibari-Sayaku Shiina** - I shall do then, although nothing to up the rating .w. For one, Mukuro mainly hated mafia families, because it was a family that hurt him, and Tsuna is freelance, so that would reduce the animosity. Also his stance shall be revealed in due time '^'b

**percy44442** - Thank you .w. It's a wonder how time goes so fast between updates o-o

**Kuroi Rin** - Well I can somehow imagine Tsuna getting to know all sorts of people. Even if he is a little more ooc here, his overall nature is still gentle enough to interest people

**Snowyh2o** - Hue hue, almost~ And nope, it didn't. In reality, I'm surprised Xanxus wouldn't have found out sooner. I'm sure there would have been maids who remembered some strange kid appearing out of nowhere, and speculation to start and whatnot. Xanxus and Tsuna are slightly closer in age, because I think them having even a semi-decent relationship would be more plausible that way.

**Akane Ume** - Thank you~ I just found it a shame, Gokudera is amazingly smart and is far too loud to be cut out as an assassin. It'd seem a waste not to use him as a tactician, more so than he's too weak to fight. Kusakabe is... idk what personality he even has. He's pretty minor.

**Hweianime** - Haha, thank you .w. I'm not overly fond of relationships that don't have some sort of time to build up beforehand. They just seem a bit more shallow. And yeah, Tsuna shall meet Reborn, although he still has his mask to hide himself with~

["Text"] - speaking over the phone

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><p>"Takeshi! You'll be late for school if you don't hurry up."<p>

"Sure thing, dad." A tanned teenager grinned as he rushed down the stairs of his house-cum-restaurant. His short, spiky hair was jet black and his amber eyes glistened with enthusiasm. He grabbed the lunch box his father had set out for him, before picking up an apple and making his way towards the exit.

"I'm going! See ya dad." Yamamoto Takeshi gave a cheerful wave to the middle-aged man that was his father before exiting TakeSushifor the streets of Kyoto.

The elder Yamamoto, Tsuyoshi, smiled happily at his son's cheerful demeanour. After his wife had died ten years ago, his son had seemed to have fallen into a pit of despair. It had been only after an attempted suicide that Tsuyoshi had finally seen that he'd needed to do something, and had decided they both needed a new start in Kyoto. No matter how much time had passed, he was eternally glad to see that his son had recovered and returned to the cheerful young boy he had been before.

Said teenager smiled happily while munching on his apple, navigating the streets of Kyoto to get to his high school. The sun was shining, it was a Friday and his baseball team had won their last game. Even better, since he no longer lived in a small town, there were quite a lot of talented players in the school teams, and so he wasn't solely responsible for winning any more. It was a good day for Yamamoto Takeshi. He continued towards his school, oblivious to his surroundings before a sudden collision sent him sprawling. Looking up, Yamamoto saw an odd teenager, if he was a teenager (ages were hard to tell with foreigners, Yamamoto mused, and the other boy was _definitely_ not from Japan). Heterochromatic eyes - one a deep blue and the other a startling red - stared back at him. The stranger raised a pale hand to push unusual navy hair out of his face before standing and offering the same hand to Yamamoto.

"My sincerest apologies."

The voice was a low baritone, and Yamamoto could practically hear the smirk in it. It took the baseball player a moment to realise the voice had come from the odd boy he'd ran into, and that it was directed at_him_. He accepted the offered hand and allowed it to pull him back onto his feet before grinning sheepishly.

"Haha, sorry about that."

"It's no problem." The blue-haired boy now sounded amused. He glanced at Yamamoto with interest for a moment.

"You go to school here?"

The raven-haired teen blinked. He had forgotten entirely about school. '_Aha, I'm gonna be late_.' He worried silently for a moment before realising that he'd forgotten to reply _again_.

"Oh yeah. Are you new around here?"

The other boy smirked. "You could say that." He paused for a moment. "Well, I'll see you around." The smirk never left his face as he waved goodbye and continued down the street.

Yamamoto found himself staring after the boy before, with a jolt, he suddenly remembered he was now very late for school.

"Crap!" The baseball player sped off, pushing thoughts of the odd boy to the back of his mind as he concentrated on getting to school.

By the time school had ended, Yamamoto had forgotten entirely about the blue-haired boy with striking eyes. He'd gotten a lunchtime detention for being so late, having overslept and been held up on the street. The baseball player waved goodbye to his friends before heading in the opposite direction. Usually he'd walk home with one of them, but today he wanted to spend some time practising in the batting booth. He was walking along the street before he came across a small gang of people. They, too, seemed foreign. Oblivious as he was, Yamamoto didn't realise he was looking at a stereotypical yakuza-style group. '_Must be tourists_.' The teen was content to ignore them and go on his way, but a call held him back.

"Oi, kid." One of the group members had noticed him staring.

"Hey," Yamamoto smiled politely. "You need any help?"

Now most people at this point would have been warned off by the general look of the group, before becoming severely frightened at the amused leers they gave each other in response to his question. There was something entirely off about the group, no matter how you looked at it.

"_Sure_, kid. We need help getting to TakeSushi." Yamamoto blinked, before a grin lit up his face. '_They are tourists_.' The teen thought happily, assuming his dad's sushi shop had become famous enough to attract hoards of customers.

"Oh, no problem! Let me give you directions..."

Having given directions, Yamamoto happily made his way to the batting booths. He managed to play for three hours before deciding he didn't want to strain himself, and went to get something to eat. He rarely ate outside, which was a given since he lived in a sushi restaurant. The change was nice every once in a while.

It was pushing ten in the evening when he arrived home. For some odd reason, the streets around his house were completely deserted, when it wasn't unusual to still see some people milling about at that time. Shrugging it off, he went inside to find the restaurant surprisingly empty. A few distant sounds met the baseball player's ears, and he curiously followed them until they became louder and more distinguishable. Shouts, crashes and clangs could be heard from inside the dojo attached to their house. Yamamoto frowned. Was his father teaching a lesson there? The teen decided to check, opening the doors with his usual smile.

Said smile dropped when Yamamoto took in the sight before him. Blood spattered the floor, pooling around the dead bodies that littered the dojo. The bright red almost looked fake, like something from a scene in a horror movie, but something in Yamamoto knew that it was undeniably real. He could see his father surrounded by five or so enemies, and with a jolt the teenager realised they were part of the group from before. A sense of horror came over Yamamoto as he realised this, which only grew as he saw that same red - so bright and unreal - dripping from the sword his father clutched in his hands. The elder Yamamoto had an expression his son had never seen before: hard and cold, as he struck down another one of his assailants. Blood spattered once more, in small red droplets, one of them hitting the swordsman in the face. Yamamoto's breath caught in his throat.

"D-dad?"

Tsuyoshi looked up quickly, eyes widening at the sight of his son. He knew how he must look, covered in blood and about to strike down another person, end another life. The horror in his son's gaze froze the swordsman in his tracks. Yamamoto could only watch as his father stopped, the next moments almost too fast for him to comprehend.

One attacker rushed forwards, fist raised as if to hit the swordsman. Tsuyoshi span, raising one arm almost as a reflex to block, unwilling to kill another with his son watching. With a sudden, horrific realisation, the swordsman noticed for the first time the small blade in the attacker's hand. Said blade glinted in the light for a moment before it sank, harshly, into the older man's wrist.

"Dad!" Yamamoto's scream tore through the air. The teenager ran to the swordsman who had fallen by then, ignoring the enemies that still surrounded them. He cradled his father, glaring up at the remaining attackers as he shielded the man with his own body, as if to protect him. Tears streamed down Yamamoto's face as the assailants looked on in amusement. It was obvious to both parties that the boy couldn't really do anything as the assailants drew closer, almost gleeful at the prospect of finishing off both father and son.

A deep voice cut off their advances, filled with an oddly familiar hint of dark amusement.

"Oya oya, what do we have here?"

XXXXX

Gokudera blinked at his partner and best friend.

"Xanxus? The leader of Vongola's independant assassin squad?"

Tsuna nodded happily.

"Yup! If anyone will know what's going on, it'll be him."

"Who's this herbivore?" Hibari cut in, furrowing his eyebrows. The 'how do you know him' went unsaid, but was heard all the same.

"I think Hayato knows this, but I've run into the Varia a couple of times on jobs," Tsuna glanced at the bomber, who nodded in confirmation. "I think most of them were jobs I wasn't hired for, but I just wanted to get rid of the target." He furrowed his eyebrows and crinkled his nose in distaste. Both other teens knew that Tsuna only took hits on corrupt, disgusting humans, and sometimes went out of his way to stop them without people asking him. "Well anyway, after so many meetings we sort of became acquaintances. We stayed in contact. I think I still owe him one from the last time we met."

Hibari quirked an eyebrow in question, but Tsuna shook his head in amusement, as if to say 'later'.

"You'd have to tell him your real identity you know." Gokudera frowned in worry.

"Ah... he kinda already knows." Tsuna rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He quickly cut off the bomber before he could start worrying. "But he wouldn't tell anyone! Really, Hayato."

"How can you trust this herbivore?"

"He isn't the type to betray people, Kyoya." The brunet frowned. "Even then, I know some of his important secrets, and he kinda owes me not to reveal them. Plus I don't think he likes my father very much."

Hibari snorted, but accepted the reasoning nonetheless. The brunet was well aware that the skylark didn't have a high opinion of the Young Lion of Vongola either.

"I think I'll call him first." Tsuna mused. He was worried about the Varia leader, who would inevitably also be targeted as a member of Vongola, despite the strength he knew the other possessed. Gokudera seemed to perk up in interest while Hibari only eyed him curiously. Ignoring the two, Tsuna pulled out his phone, scrolling through the contacts until he found the one he wanted. He quickly pressed the call button and put the phone to his ear, waiting. Finally the person of the other side picked up.

"Hey Xanxus."

["Mini trash."]

XXXXX

"Timoteo, I have to go to Japan."

The old Don could only nod kindly. "Of course. Finding your son should become top priority now." Nono was able to emphasise with his external advisor more than anyone, having lost two sons already. He hoped he wouldn't have to go through that pain again; he hoped neither of them would.

Iemitsu stood up, nodding forlornly to his boss, before passing Xanxus and exiting the room. A heavy silence fell over the room, and the Varia leader found himself scowling. He'd never liked the blonde idiot of the CEDEF, but it still left a distasteful feeling to see the man look so broken. It reminded him of the times when his own father had heard of the death of his brothers. Scoffing mentally at his own thoughts, Xanxus turned to stalk out of the room as well. It wasn't his place to tell the CEDEF idiot about his son.

"Trash."

Squalo jumped slightly, before scowling and following behind the Varia leader. They had gone down a few corridors before the high pitched ringing of a phone sounded out. Squalo looked on curiously, but Xanxus' face betrayed no emotion when he checked the caller I.D before answering.

"Mini trash." He growled in hello.

["Aha... hey. How're you?"] The voice had a hint of nervousness within it.

Xanxus rolled his eyes. "Stop with the bullshit and tell me what you want."

["Hey! I am actually concerned with how you are. Especially with this... Vongola hunt going on."]

"I'm fucking dandy. Now speak." He could hear a sigh from the other end.

["At least you're okay."] Xanxus almost growled to tell him to _hurry the fuck up,_ when the speaker continued before he had the chance. ["Anyway, I just found out that I've gotten a hit on me."]

"Well obviously, mini trash. You're that idiot's son." The Varia leader almost sighed. '_What a waste of time.'_

["I know _that._ I meant, a good assassin was asked to kill me even though I'm a normal civilian."] Xanxus snorted, but the speaker ignored it. ["And my mother, who should be in the same situation as me, was only targeted by lackeys. Ah, she's okay by the way."]

"You should be grateful they only sent lackeys, trash."Although Xanxus did see the oddity there. It was only a minor discrepancy, but Xanxus had learnt not to overlook the small things. He'd look into it when he had the chance. "Maybe they think you have guards, or training, trash. Don't worry about every little thing."

A sigh. ["I guess you're right..."]

"Damn right I am."

["Thanks, Xanxus."] The Varia leader grunted in response.

"If you're so worried, why don't you come get rid of whatever bastard is behind this?"

["You want me to work with you?"] A surprised voice replied.

"Didn't you hear me?" Xanxus growled. He wouldn't admit he'd rather be able to keep an eye on the brat, even if he didn't have a problem with worrying about him. They were, by extension, family after all.

["No, no, I did. I'd love to work with you. Where should we meet?"]

"I've got some shit to do first, so meet me in Paris in about a week."

["Sure thing."]

Xanxus grunted once more before hanging up without a goodbye. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Squalo rolling his eyes.

"You're so obvious, boss."

He growled. "Shut it, sword trash." The Varia leader put away his phone and started forwards again, before Squalo could respond. The swordsman merely snorted before following once more.

XXXXX

In the opposite direction, Iemitsu had his mouth set in a grim line, as he made his way over to the CEDEF headquarters. It generally would have been farther away, but with the Ninth getting older, he thought it best to have them close by. He burst into the central command, before going over to the brown-haired woman he saw at one computer.

"Sir!" The woman greeted him as soon as she noticed his arrival.

"What have you got for me, Oregano?"

The young woman glanced nervously at the report, and somehow Iemitsu could tell it wasn't anything he'd be looking forwards to hearing.

"We haven't found any sign of your son, alive or... otherwise." She started. The CEDEF leader nodded for her to go on, relieved at least that there was no proof he was dead. "We don't know who is targeting him, or anyone from Vongola for that matter, but we did find a lead." Here the blonde narrowed his eyes sharply.

"What is it?" He prompted.

"A freelance assassin that is known in the underground by the name Alauda was contracted to kill your son." Iemitsu took in a sharp breath. "There was no confirmation that he completed the request. He is known to be... brutal, and has a signature of leaving behind victims that appear to have been beaten to death via blunt weapons. A few reports show usage of knives in his missions a few years ago, but it is suspected that was caused by his partner."

"So it isn't likely he set my house on fire."

Oregano shook her head. "No sir. Something so flashy isn't generally his style. And finally, rumours are that he lives in Japan."

"Damn, so he's ahead of us." The blonde man muttered.

"Sir?"

"Get a flight ready, Oregano. I will be going to Japan myself."

XXXXX

Tsuna heard the tell-tale beeping that Xanxus had hung up on him, before he looked at his phone and sighed. He looked at his two colleges, one who was waiting impassively, and the other... who was sparkling.

"Tsuna-sama is going to work with the Varia? Amazing!" Gokudera had a slightly reverent look in his eyes. Tsuna had long gotten out of shifting uncomfortably when this side of his best friend emerged, but it was a near thing.

"It's not that big a deal, Hayato. We have a common goal, after all." The brunet gave the bomber a calming smile, and while Gokudera was still proud, he didn't look ready to start bowing in front of the other boy after it. '_It's been a while since he was like that_,' Tsuna thought nervously, remembering the period of worship the bomber had gone through in the early years of their relationship. Thankfully it was an increasingly rare occurrence for him to revert to his previous attitude.

"When are you meeting the herbivore?"

"Paris, in about a week." Hibari raised an eyebrow, but ultimately said nothing as the brunet stretched and let out a loud yawn. "Man, today has been so hectic."

As if on cue, Gokudera also let out a yawn of his own, though he tried, and failed, to stifle it.

"Hayato, maybe it's time to go home and get some rest?"

The bomber blinked. "Sure thing, Tsuna-sama." He let out a smile. "Should I go get the bikes ready?"

"Ah, uh," the brunet shifted a little nervously. "I was hoping to stay here tonight, if that's okay with you, Kyoya." Tsuna looked towards the older boy with a tentative, hopeful smile. The raven-haired boy stared back at Tsuna for a moment before he finally get out an accepting grunt. The brunet almost let out a wry smile at the slightly resigned air in which Hibari took out his own phone and pressed a single button.

"Tetsu, prepare the guest room."

"Thank you, Kyoya!" The smile Tsuna let out was almost blinding to the older boy.

"Hn." He abruptly stood up. "I shall prepare dinner." Hibari swiftly exited the room.

"Tsuna-sama..." Gokudera looked worried as soon as the older assassin had left the room. "Are you going to be okay by yourself with him?"

The brunet let out a laugh. "Of course, what bad could happen with Kyoya around?"

"He, he could attack you!" Gokudera waved his arms wildly in agitation.

"But it's not unusual for him to attack me." Tsuna tilted his head in confusion. "We still spar together every couple of weeks."

"N-not that way!" Now the bomber had a tinge of pink dusting his cheeks.

The brunet blinked, before a sudden realisation hit him. "O-oh." He shook his head, as if shaking off his own embarrassment and gave a small, sad smile. "Kyoya wouldn't do that. I think he's still under the impression that we're dating."

The bomber's cheeks darkened. "But we aren't!"

"Haha, I know. That doesn't change the fact that Kyoya didn't even blink at the prospect. I don't think he likes me that much, Hayato."

"That guy wouldn't blink even if you slapped him in the face with a dead fish." Gokudera muttered in all seriousness. Tsuna looked at him for a moment before bursting out laughing.

"Tsuna-sama!" The bomber became flustered.

"Hahaha, thanks, Hayato." Tsuna grinned. "You sure cheered me up."

Gokudera was saved from answering with the reappearance of Hibari. He looked at Gokudera coldly, as if asking why the bomber was still in his house.

"That was quick," Tsuna remarked.

"I only had to heat it up."

Gokudera looked between the two before grumbling and getting up. "Fine, I'll be leaving now." He nodded at Hibari as he walked through the door, but not before pausing to mouth a quick 'be safe, Tsuna-sama' at the brunet. Tsuna smiled wryly, before getting up himself.

"Hn." Hibari swiftly turned and exited, expecting the brunet to follow. Tsuna did so, with a soft smile and a fond look in his eyes.

* * *

><p>[Omake] - <em>During the times Tsuna went on missions with Hibari.<em>

"Hibari?" A soft voice whispered into the darkness. The small sounds of their breathing were the only indications that the two boys were present. "Hibari, are you okay?"

Silence met the brunet's ears, and he began to panic. Hibari was right in front of him, but he wasn't moving or replying at all. For some reason he simply stopped, and the young assassin started imagining an array of scenarios that could cause this. Were the air vents bugged? Was Hibari caught in a trap? Tsuna was about to call out once more, but to his relief, the other boy finally responded.

"Stop making unnecessary noise, herbivore."

The brunet blinked. Hibari rarely called him 'herbivore' anymore, not unless he managed to piss the elder boy off (usually by greeting him with his first name).

"Then what's wrong?" Tsuna let a tiny hint of impatience leak into his voice. They had just left behind a corpse, one that soon would be discovered, and he didn't want to be in the immediate vicinity when that happened. "Come on Hibari, we have to go."

Another pause. Tsuna almost thought the skylark was messing with him before he heard some low mumbling from the other.

"... –uck."

"What?" The brunet blinked. "I didn't hear that, Hibari."

"I said," the raven-haired boy started, irritation leaking into his tone. "I'm stuck."

Tsuna stared at the assassin in front of him, and burst out laughing.

"Shut up," Hibari hissed, and if Tsuna squinted he thought he could see pink dusting the top of his ears. "Just help me."

Tsuna bit back another laugh. "Okay, okay. Let me get to you." The brunet started shifting forwards until he was right behind the prefect. "Now what do you want me to do?"

He heard a sigh. "Just get me unstuck, herbivore."

"Okay." Leaving one arm to keep him propped, Tsuna raised his other hand and grasped Hibari's upper thigh and pushed. The raven-haired boy started to feel uncomfortable with someone's hand in such an intimate place.

"Stop shifting, Hibari. You almost kicked me in the face."

"Then hurry up!"

Muttering under his breath, the brunet used his grip on Hibari to keep him up, and placed his other hand on the prefect so all his weight could be used to push him. Adjusting his hands so he didn't fall face first onto the skylark, Tsuna shoved once again.

"Herbivore, stop _molesting _me!"

Tsuna kept putting his weight on the other boy in hopes he would get dislodged. "I am not molesting you. I'm _trying_ to help." He added, disgruntled.

"Helping doesn't include putting your hands all over my–"

"Just be quiet!" The brunet was irritated that his continuous efforts still hadn't paid off, and he didn't care for whining on top of it. "It's not my fault you have large hips."

"Did you just call me f–" Hibari was once again cut off when he found himself suddenly lurching forwards, finally unstuck.

Tsuna found himself falling forwards as well, landing on top of the other boy. Hibari was surprisingly soft, the brunet noted. It took him a few moments to realise why that was. With a startled sound, Tsuna lurched back, ignoring the fact that he hit his head on the top of the vent in doing so.

"Hibari, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to grab your-" He started, frantically.

"_Not a word about this, h__erbivore_." Hibari hissed venomously.

The brunet wisely decided not to reply as they continued down the vent in silence.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I'm sorry for taking so long :I I had like half of this written and sitting around for a month

specs are cool - I'm glad I managed to do that .w. I was seriously considering killing Tsuyoshi actually (but never Nana, omg), but you kinda made me feel bad about it lmao (and then it'd be difficult later on). And thanks. I love writing omakes, I might just add one in each time. Iemitsu is an idiot, he won't realise shit for a long time

Yenaya - Thank you .w.

SilverShadow123 - yahh I fucked up the summary ~ Thanks eh

* * *

><p>The food Hibari had prepared was surprisingly nice, especially considering how well the last time Hibari cooked went. Tsuna grimaced. He didn't really want to think about it. He'd almost suffocated upon the smoke, and the fire department had been called, resulting in a highly embarrassing situation when the supposed fire turned out to be a completely charred pie. Although by the time they got to it, what the dish originally was had been almost indistinguishable. Tsuna was forced to hold Hibari back from biting them to the point they forgot the entire event. Noticing the brunet's expression, the prefect sent a questioning frown his way.<p>

"The food's nice, Kyoya."

The Skylark grunted in agreement. A comfortable silence descended upon the pair. They had long past the stage where they needed to talk to fill up awkward silences. Or at least, Tsuna had. Hibari never entered the stage; instead he skipped to _insisting_ upon quiet and silence, if whacking Tsuna over the head with a tonfa for each unnecessary sentence counted as such.

"It's been a while since I've stayed over."

"What of it?"

Tsuna released a chuckle. "I was only trying to remember why it's been so long."

"Don't waste your mental capacity thinking of such herbivorous things." Hibari's tone revealed that he was mentally rolling his eyes at the brunet.

"Maybe we should go on another mission together like we used to." Tsuna mused aloud. "I've missed you, after all."

"Hn." Hibari grunted, although it wasn't the usual '_hn_'. Tsuna couldn't quite identity the emotion in Hibari's tone but he picked up on the oddness of it right away.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." The skylark pointedly ignored Tsuna's questioning gaze and continued to eat.

"There is something wrong. You can't fool my intuition."

"There's nothing, Herbivore."

The brunet raised an eyebrow. Obviously something had bothered Hibari if he resorted to name calling. Scooting closer, Tsuna bent towards Hibari to stare the other in the eye.

"Kyoya. You know you can tell me anything, right?" And it was true. Hibari had been Tsuna's first friend, the first person to reach out to him and say that he _wasn't_ useless. Tsuna in return became someone who could really understand the prefect, more so than even his parents ever could. They had both helped each other out in numerous life or death situations, and Hibari was the one who saw Tsuna grow into the almost-carnivore he was today. While the prefect scarcely expressed his feeling upon the matter, there was a strong bond between the two partners.

"The bomb herbivore."

Tsuna blinked. "Huh?"

"The reason you haven't been visiting." Hibari wasn't quite meeting his eyes, and suddenly Tsuna realised that the skylark actually _had_ been bothered about it.

"I was- I- What?" The brunet tried, and failed to make his thoughts coherent. After taking a deep breath, he tried again. "Kyoya, I haven't been neglecting you to spend time with Hayato." Tsuna resolutely ignored the twitched Hibari had at the word 'neglected' and carried on. "I've just- I always thought you preferred me being independent, and I didn't wanted to feel like a burden to you, so it's just that I've been doing jobs by myself, is all."

"Hn." Hibari still wasn't looking at him, and Tsuna knew he wasn't very good at any sort of emotional connection but the brunet could tell this was important. He needed to get through to the older boy.

Sighing, Tsuna got up and went to kneel in front of the skylark. "Kyoya."

Hibari twitched, but still opted to ignore the other boy. Tsuna growled and grabbed the awkward prefect, twisting him round so that they were face to face.

"Kyoya, listen to me." The older assassin's face was ever-blank, but Tsuna could tell he was paying attention. "You are important to me. You were my very first friend, and even though I was clumsy and useless for so long you came along and forced that out of me. I don't feel for anyone else what I feel for you, so don't think that I would leave you behind, idiot."

Hibari blinked for a moment, uncharacteristically caught off guard by the small speech that had been thrown at him. Tsuna's face was so serious, he had to hold back from cracking a smile. Seemingly realising what sort of position he was in, the younger assassin jumped back, blushing madly.

"I mean, uh– you know... yeah." Tsuna was avoiding direct eye contact, jumping when he felt a hand reach out to ruffle his hair.

Hibari quirked a smile at the brunet. "Okay."

Nodding back in response, Tsuna allowed himself a small smile, happy that the older boy seemed to have accepted his impromptu declaration. Finally feeling the tension leave, the two boys continued eating their supper in peace.

XXXXX

It was sometime during of the middle of the night that Tsuna jolted awake. At first he didn't know what triggered him, before a small sound caught his attention. Quietly, as not to wake up anyone else in the house, the brunet stepped out of his room, making his way down the various corridors until he came across the room that the muffled sounds were coming from. Tsuna had a dreadful feeling he knew who was behind the door. After a moment of hesitation, he slid the door open, allowing for a few seconds for his eyes to adjust and peered inside the room. A figure was sitting up upon a futon, the blanket twisted around them.

"Mama?" Tsuna made sure to keep his voice soft, but Nana still looked up with a small jump.

"T-Tsunayoshi?"

The brunet felt like grimacing. His mother only ever used his full name if it was serious. Making his way over to her, Tsuna sunk down to his knees to grab her and hold her close. Hibari hadn't told him it was this bad.

"I'm here, Mama."

The elder woman clutched to her son like a lifeline, sobs breaking free from her chest. She cried more than he had ever seen her cry before, holding onto his shirt tightly while the wet patch slowly became larger. Tsuna held on until the shaking subsided, her breathing slowly evening out. Eventually even her sobs subsided. It was honestly terrifying seeing the woman, who under all circumstances, never failed to take things easily with a smile. It was that smile he protected by keeping her away from the Mafia, away from her husband's lies.

Tsuna realised with a grimace that he was acting disturbingly like the man who caused this mess in the first place.

The brunet never thought it was his place to tell her about the mafia, and he still didn't. However, whether it was his duty or another's, he wouldn't be able to bear seeing his mother break down again. He wouldn't be able to handle the soul-crippling fear he felt in those moments when he realised Nana would be attacked, and she would be ignorant and defenceless and _vulnerable. _Yet in the aftermath, she was the exemplification of vulnerability because she didn't know.

"Mama?" Tsuna gently shook the woman who was resting upon his shoulder. "I have something to tell you."

He heard a sniffle, before she drew back and gave a shaky nod. Taking a deep breath, Tsuna looked his mother in the eyes, and mustered up all the determination he could find. He didn't want to be the one to do this; he wasn't _supposed_ to be the one to do this, but Nana wasn't stupid. He couldn't expect her go live life in ignorant bliss, and brush off everything – including attempts upon their lives.

"Do you know what dad does for a living?" He asked slowly, willing himself to keep eye contact.

"He mines for o-oil, Tsu-kun." Nana wiped her eyes as she spoke. The usage of her normal nickname for him calmed the brunet. His mother was pulling herself together. At her respond however, he gave a sad shake of his head.

"No, he doesn't."

Bloodshot brown eyes widened in surprise. "What are you saying...? Tsu-kun?"

Nana wanted desperately to deny the implication there. That her husband had been lying to her for years, _decades_ even. More so, she didn't want to think that her baby boy, her Tsu-kun knew about it too. As much as she wished otherwise, Nana wasn't entirely oblivious to the world around her. She knew her husband's description of his job was sketchy (because even ignoring the postcard from the Antarctic, oil isn't even mined by hand or with a pickaxe) but she had always hoped that maybe he was simply dumbing it down for her sake. She's been terrified however, when Tsuna decided to move out, imagining a repeat of when her husband left. It was lonely, but Tsuna always visited, and so she decided not to pry.

And then she had almost gotten killed.

"What does he do?" She asked the question she feared most to hear the answer to. But she could no longer ignore everything – like she did the long absences of her husband, or the hastily hidden bruises of her son. She needed to _know_ because it was suddenly dangerous, and she feared so much what sort of things her two boys had gotten themselves into.

"He works for the Mafia."

Tsuna bit his lip in nervousness as he watched his mother go still. When he first found out, he had been angry – furious – at Iemitsu for keeping secrets. Even if it was hypocritical, he hoped his mother wouldn't be equally angry at himself.

"Mafia." Nana echoed, disbelief in her tone. The younger of the two didn't know if she was in disbelief over the fact Iemitsu was in the mafia, or that he actually never told them.

"Yes." Tsuna swallowed. "H-he's part of the strongest mafia group in the world. He's second to the boss actually."

The young assassin could see the beginning on anger start to burn within his mother's eyes.

"Is that why we were... targeted?" Nana asked in a small voice.

"Yes... and no." Tsuna held back a sigh, wishing he didn't have to explain both the situation and his own role in it, but knowing he couldn't avoid it. If Nana found out later he kept even more secrets from her, she'd be heartbroken.

"We were targeted for being related to him, as far as I can tell, but also because the entire... group he works for is being targeted by an unknown group. Mafia and civilians... they're trying to wipe everyone out."

Nana was shaking again, and the younger brunet had to fight to keep the frown off his face. Wordlessly, he nudged closer towards her, holding her tightly around the waist and letting her head rest upon his shoulder. He had to remind himself that telling her now, even if it was late, would save her further heartbreak in the future – no matter how painful it seemed to currently be.

"Why couldn't he have told me?" Nana clutched onto her son. "Why was I the only one left in the dark?"

"I..." Tsuna swallowed, his guilt rising. The only thing he could do was answer honestly. After everything, Nana deserved at least that. "I wanted him to be the one to tell you. I thought– I thought it was his responsibility." Bowing his head, Tsuna muttered. "I'm sorry."

Nana shook her head. "It's not your fault Tsu-kun." She frowned, and Tsuna hated the look on her face. She wasn't supposed to have been exposed to this pain. "Iemitsu should have told me too."

"Dad didn't tell me." Tsuna looked away, unwilling to look Nana in the eyes and see the betrayal in them. "I found out by myself... after I became involved in the mafia."

Tsuna could feel how Nana stiffened in his arms. He almost clutched onto her tighter, before he force himself to let go. A moment passed, and then another. After what seemed like hours, Nana finally spoke.

"How?"

Out of all the responses, an explanation was the one he expected least. The younger brunet quite honestly didn't want to admit to his mother what he'd done, but there was no turning back.

"I... I killed someone who was going to attack me." Tsuna internally winced at his own words. Sure it was best to get the worst out of the way, but the bluntness surprised even him. "And somehow I found myself being attacked again and again. Sometimes an assassin went after me, but after I was saved by a classmate they took me under their wing and taught me to fight." Tsuna gave a half-hearted shrug, trying to feign nonchlance. "Eventually we just started going on missions and made a name for ourselves."

"So..." Nana had this wide-eyed look that made the brunet want to crawl into a hole.

"We're assassins." He finished lamely, internally braced for the reaction.

Nanas fingers dug in almost painfully at the revelation, and the brunet was half preparing himself for shouting and rejection, wondering how he'd convince her to accept protection from them regardless of what she thought.

"Okay."

Maybe they could add protection without her knowing? Although it would be easier with her co-operation... wait.

"What?" Tsuna blinked, seemingly so confused that Nana had to giggle at his expression.

"Okay. Thank you for telling me Tsu-kun."

"You're not... mad?"

Nana let out a long, drawn out sigh, managing to sound exhausted in that one breath. "I am mad, but not at you. Being a... hired killer isn't what I'd imagine my baby doing when he was older, but as long as you stay safe." She huffed for a moment, before frowning. "Iemitsu however..."

Wincing at her tone, Tsuna gave a weak smile. "Don't worry, I only kill the bad guys."

Nana giggled, and Tsuna finally allowed some of the tension to leave his body. "That's good, Tsu-kun."

There was an oddly hysterical part of his brain that was worrying over how his mother's reply sounded like the kind of thing she'd say if he told her he got sixty on a test (in fact he was sure that was _exactly_ what she said at one point). Seeing her son worry his lip so furiously, Nana smiled and hugged him closer – relishing in the closeness and the knowledge that her baby was right there and _safe._

"Don't worry Tsu-kun. Now, lets go to sleep, ne?" Her tone allowed for no room for arguement, and the younger brunet founding himself nodding along.

For the first time in years, the young assassin allowed himself to relax completely and lie next to his mother. She needed the emotional support of his presence (in a small part of his mind, he knew he needed the reassurance too), and while it wasn't yet okay – it wouldn't be okay before they get their hands on Iemitsu and find out what was going on – it was going to be, and that was enough.

XXXXX

Looking down at his hands, Takeshi wondered just how his life managed to screw up so grandly the past few days. After his dad was attacked, his memories went all funny – honestly the baseball player could only really remember focusing on all the blood that was leaking out of his dad's body, vaguely aware of how badly he was panicking over it. At some point he realised the strange blue-haired boy had killed the last of the attackers – making it look ridiculously easy, like ripping apart paper dolls – but he couldn't find it in himself to care.

Takeshi knew how dangerous a cut on the wrist was. He'd done the research years ago when he was young and suicidal, just one cut, one artery severed, and you'd bleed out until nothing was left.

Maybe he was being ungrateful. Somehow, thank some god, his dad survived. The baseball player wouldn't try to understand where the doctor had come from – this 'Shamal', who was apparently following the boy that saved them (who was in turn following the people that went after his dad) – and he was eternally grateful that his only remaining parent wasn't forced to bleed out in the back of their home. And yet... Takeshi brought his hands into a fist.

His old man would never get full movement of his hand back.

The hazel eyed teen looked up at the arrival of his new companion (_Mukuro_, as he introduced himself). Takeshi didn't know what to make of the other boy, but he had little choice in his options. The Shamal character couldn't safely take his dad and hide him if he had Takeshi to look after too – it was lucky that the man had apparently owed his dad a favour in the first place (and Takeshi had no idea how that had happened. He thought he knew everything about his dad).

"Ready to go?"

The baseball player nodded, grabbing his sword and swinging it onto his back. After he saw his dad execute the different moves in their family style, he'd taken up the sword to practise them himself (the dark haired teen shoved the memories of his dad's attempts to show him them again after he woke up to the back of his mind, not wanting to fully realise the implications of only one usable hand). But he said goodbye to did dad – who was still recovering from the poison that had been on the blade, and unable to stop his son from going off for both their sakes – and he'd vowed to take up the sword that his old man could no longer wield. Somehow, that didn't feel like enough, but the teen forcefully shoved the thoughts away again. It was his old man who was hurt (had the right to be depressed), even if it was his fault.

Gritting his teeth, Takeshi followed after Mukuro, resolved not to think any more on it. He had to focus on getting better at the sword, and follow the other teen as they snuck around Japan, looking for a _someone_ that the other boy refused to elaborate upon. It was honestly tiring, travelling around in the dead hours of the night, keeping interaction with others to a minimum, finding a place to sleep each night. Yet somehow it seemed so wildly appropriate after he realised this was the Mafia he was dealing with (Mafia. He still hadn't wrapped his head around that one either, but it was fine. As long as he survived, and won this game, it'd be fine).

"Do you know where this guy is?" After a while, Takeshi wondered if they actually knew where they were going. He should have asked earlier, but his mind was still understandably caught up in other things.

"Hmm." Mukuro hummed cheerily. "I know that he's in Japan."

"... Do you have a picture?"

"Nope," the Illusionist drawled happily. "I do have a name, however."

Curiosity peaked; Takeshi looked over towards the other boy. "What is it?"

"Sawada Tsunayoshi."

XXXXX

A whoosh of air rushed past the leader of the Varia, who cursed loudly.

"Fuck! Goddamn trash, why aren't you taking out these things?"

"Voii!" Squalo ducked under an attack, bringing his sword up to slice the chimera in two. A deep gash formed on the malformed body of his opponent instead, and the human-animal hybrid roared, becoming more enraged, but seemingly unconcerned with the blood dripping from his body. The swordsman swore, before shouting his reply. "Why don't you take them out yourself, shitty boss?"

In response, Xanxus fired a blast of his flames of rage at one of the beasts' head, again and again, until all that was left was a bloody lump of flesh. The chimera fell to the floor in front of the Varia leader, landing with a dull _thump_. Xanxus allowed a feral grin to take over his face, more teeth than smile. Around him, the other Varia members were taking out their own targets – Belphagor bleeding them dry, Levi frying them until they burnt, and Mammon ripping them apart. The Estraneo experiments were tough – tougher than their normal human targets that were cut apart like butter, but the Varia weren't the Varia for nothing.

Various bodies littered the floor, the combined gore almost seeming sickening to even the hardened assassins. Xanxus found himself grimacing. Regardless of what he'd done in the Mafia, what the lengths the Estraneo had gone to crossed even the lines he set. After the Vindice had publically condemned the scientist famaglia a few years ago when their practices of child experimentation came to light, the remaining factions of the family became even more desperate – performing even more horrific experiments in whatever few factions remained. The Varia leader was actually surprised they had missed a labratory this large.

Grim thoughts had invaded his thoughts when, after following a lead of his missing adopted brother, they had stumbled across this hidden gem. Xanxus frowned. That bastard Frederico had better be alright.

A roar echoed through the trashed laboratory, and a creature, more hideous and bigger than any of the ones they had encountered so far emerged, swathed in Sky flamed. Dread crawled Xanxus' spine, and the man cursed once more.

They were Frederico's flames.

XXXXX

A small bump was felt throughout the plane as it landed. Given that he had a large target painted upon his back, the head of the CEDEF decided to take public transport home, forcing him to wait with all his restless energy while passengers collected their hand luggage and lumbered out of the plane in a single line. The blond man had to force himself to stay patient through security and baggage collection before he was finally free. Eventually however, he made it through and Iemitsu had arrived in Japan.

A determined glint could be seen in the blonde man's eye.

"Don't worry Nana, Tsuna. I'm home."

* * *

><p>Omake:<p>

It was somewhat amusing, or Tsuna decided it would be in retrospect, just how they managed to end up in these sorts of situations. When he accompanied Hibari to kill people, he figured there may be more blood and fighting and possibly running (although Hibari never actually _ran away_) and possibly less... being stranded upon a dinghy.

It was a lovely boat, not to get him wrong – made of a beautiful natural wood – but he wasn't quite partial to being stuck upon it. With Hibari. In the middle of nowhere.

The entire situation had him sighing. The prefect on the other side of the boat twitched at the noise. Hibari had gone to all efforts to stay as far away from him on the craft as he possibly could, although Tsuna had understood why. Hibari was somewhat like a very disgruntled cat, a very _wild_ and disgruntled cat. He disliked being in the presence of others for any certain amount of time, and even if they were (dare he say it) friendly with one another, he feared that Hibari's human interaction quota had long been filled. Seeing the other boy twitch every so often as the claustrophobia got to him, Tsuna decided Hibari was barely restraining himself from jumping overboard.

The brunet sighed again.

"Herbivore." The prefect growled, his irritation obvious.

"Yes, Hibari?"

"Cease making those sounds."

Perhaps he was feeling suicidal. Perhaps it was the endless sight of the sea getting to him. Maybe he had spent enough time with the prefect to come under the foolish notion they could be perfectly casual with each other. Either way, Tsuna pushed down on the urge to smirk, instead adopting an innocently confused expression and tilted his head to the side.

"What sound do you mean?" The brunet resisted the urge to add a snigger.

Hibari was practically hissing in contempt. "_Herbivore._"

"Yes?"

A very low growl of warning left the prefect, and the small brunet had to suppress a shiver of fear. When it appeared that he would be getting no verbal answer, Tsuna shook his head in exaggeration, letting out a loud and audible sigh, as if the other boy were a particularly difficult child.

He probably should have expected it when the older assassin tackled him.

They hit the water with a large splash, both boys struggling. While he was fighting for his life in trying to get the prefect away from him, Tsuna realised with a jolt that Hibari was actually trying to strangle him in his rage. Seeing the prefect loosing it so obviously had Tsuna unintentionally bark out a laugh, which only served to enrage the older boy even more.

"H-Hibari, stop!"

The prefect in question ignored the other boy, still choosing to furiously attack.

"Hibari, _please_." Tsuna spluttered, spitting out the salt water that had invaded his mouth. "I'm going to drown!"

Finally deciding that enough was enough, the older assassin shoved the brunet away from him, choosing to try and regain his calm while he regulated his breathing. The prefect barely had time to count to twenty before Tsuna spoke again.

"Hibari..."

"_What?_" Hibari snapped.

Wide and frantic brown eyes looked at him in panic. "Where's the boat?"


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I swear there's smth about Takeshi's parts that loves making me typo ffs

**TripOverFlatSurfaces **– It really is. To be fair, he's probably good at his job when it doesn't involve his family. Mukuro is a nice guy, he's one of my favourite people so he deserved a place here. Huee, I'm trying to write more so .w.

**Skylar18** – Aha, thank you. Hm, it's only the important characters that know him really. I'm convinced that's pretty much it. Ah no for the side pairings. I sort of have this headcanon that Gokudera is asexual (but not aromantic) anyway. It just seems to suit him somehow. Eh, sorry that I made them seem like pairings, but there is no 5927 or X27 – I've tried to make that more obvious in this chapter. Uh, I guess just take everything as 100% platonic unless it's explicitly not? I'm a firm believer that romance as an ideal is horrendous, and platonic relationships are the best basis for romantic and/or sexual ones.

**Guest** – (I'm not sure if all the laughing guests are the same person or not, but whoever you are, I'm glad this amuses you so.) Same, their relationship can only turn out interesting .w. I doubt he has any intuition to be honest. I'm afraid I made him a pretty big asshole here.

**farronewp** – Haha, glad it was funny enough eh

**Hime-chan Natsumi** - Thank you .w.

**Naevys** – I will '^'b Thanks

**Cielo-Caelum** – Thanks. It seemed a shame that I skipped over their years together, but then it's be too much to write for my attention span to last ~ I don't think they'll be in this, honestly. Takeshi and Mukuro were sort of last minute addition. Thank you yo

* * *

><p>With gritted teeth, Tsuna forced himself to loosen the grip on his phone, and put it aside. Every morning, after waking, he checked for messages from Xanxus, yet each day, none had arrived. Tsuna knew the Varia leader wasn't one to be sloppy – it was how they became acquainted in the first place; no assassin leader would let it pass if they found out someone else had taken their hit – so the details he'd given him on the phone just a week ago couldn't count for shit. Xanxus would have called again – or if not, texted at the very least – and provided a full report of what exactly he was inviting Tsuna into. 'Paris in a week' was almost as sloppy as saying they should go out to dinner sometime.<p>

The young brunet didn't like how things were starting to look. The recent attacks against Vongola practically screamed revenge. Xanxus went to follow up a lead – and Tsuna wasn't sure what exactly he was looking for, but it was with an almost one hundred percent certainty related to the Vongola hunt. The Varia leader wasn't an idiot, and only an idiot would let such a blatant attack of their family, by an unknown enemy at that, go on without immediate action. So if Xanxus went to find the people attacking them, and then went silent (because he should have called by then – it might have sounded like paranoia to others, but Tsuna knew Xanxus, and he knew the Mafia, and he _really _should have called already) – then obviously something went wrong. When the attackers seemed so adamant in getting rid of the Vongola, the choices were grim. Either Xanxus was already dead, or captured to be made an example of. Despite the odds to the contrary, Tsuna was leaning towards the latter – not only because his hyper intuition agreed with him, but because he thought that the enemy would have declared Xanxus' death, mounted his head on a pike for all to see and despair – so to speak.

A noise shook Tsuna out of his thoughts, and the young assassin looked up to see Hibari standing in the doorway, a questioning look on his face. The brunet shook his head with a sigh. He'd have to call Hayato over and see what their plan of action was. It would have been easier if Hibari let the tactician stay with them, but the skylark was fiercely protective of his home, so Tsuna couldn't really expect otherwise. He was glad at least, that the older assassin allowed him to stay – not that they hadn't practically lived together for a while, but you never really knew what went through Hibari's mind. Unfortunately, his own apartment wasn't suitable to host his mother in (if only for the multitudes of weapons stashed there, or all the incriminating evidence, and the computers – and really, it wasn't ideal), and Tsuna had wanted to stay close to her. Throughout the day, he'd go back to visit Hayato and see how he was coming along – which was splendidly, despite a few minor setbacks (which only served to make Tsuna more suspicious; no organisation capable of targeting the Vongola would be discovered so easily). Though now the week was up, and Xanxus was still silent, it was high time they decided on a course of action for themselves.

The Varia leader was their main source of contact with Vongola – and it was an unofficial alliance at best. Tsuna hadn't wanted to go near the Ninth or the CEDEF in case his identity was discovered – he honestly had no idea how his father would react to the fact that he was an assassin. Either way, it would be messy and far too personal, and Tsuna had, in part, wanted to keep the two identities separate originally, so that his new persona of strong assassin wasn't tainted with the old one of pathetic bully victim. Plus he genuinely liked Xanxus and the casual relationship they had – no doubt any official alliance would be tedious and full of formalities, ad was wont in the Mafia. The older assassin was much like an uncle or a cousin to him, which Xanxus actually acknowledged once in a blue moon, to Tsuna's delight. It was nice to have a family.

Which was why, Tsuna summarised, grabbing his phone once more to call his right hand man, that they would not abandon Xanxus. Vongola may officially be responsible for him, but Tsuna was his family too, and he was more than capable of finding out what was up without relying upon the strongest Mafia family in the world.

"Hayato? No, he hasn't called. Yeah, gather it all up, and come over to Hibari's, okay? Nah of course he won't mind. I'm sure; see you here in half an hour."

With a sigh, Tsuna got up to go get ready. He grimaced, wondering how in hell he'd explain this to his mother.

XXXXX

The leader of Vongola's CEDEF had to reign in his anticipation. He'd arrived in Japan just under a week ago, to the burnt remains of his family home. The first few days were spent investigating who had done it, but it was a dead end. Whoever perpetrated the attack had long been wiped out, and there were no leads left. It did reinforce the idea that Alauda lived in Namimori – the assassin was brutal and fiercely protective of anything he considered his own – and after a week of stealthy investigation and planning, Iemitsu had finally figured out the identity of the boy. One Hibari Kyoya – and with the boy's familial ties, it was no wonder. Now finally Iemitsu knew where the boy was staying, and had called for backup, just in case. They had arrived that morning, so the mission of going in and retrieving the assassin named Alauda could commence. Any other time, the CEDEF leader would be hesitant to have such a violent approaching on finding a lead. But this was Vongola under attack, his family under attack – and if he could find out who had propositioned Alauda, and what the assassin knew of the attacks in Namimori (since being a Hibari, it was highly likely that he did know). There was some apprehension in stepping on the toes of the Hibari family, but it wasn't as if they were going to kill the boy – _unless_, Iemitsu thought, with grim determination, _he's done something to my son. _

"Is everyone in place?" The CEDEF leader whispered into his mouthpiece. Various affirmatives came back into his earpiece, and the blond finally relaxed when all his agents replied. "Then let's go."

Steadily they advanced upon the entrance of the Hibari mansion, stealthily and in formation.

A movement in one of the windows had Iemitsu freezing. He trained his gun upon it, waiting with baited breath until it seemed apparent that no one was there. They started advancing again, only to stop in their tracks at the sound of a cold voice.

"What do you herbivores think you're doing on my property?"

Hibari Kyoya stood in the mansion entrance, seemingly unarmed. Behind him stood his right hand man, and despite the lack of information upon him, Iemitsu recalled they had found out his name as Kusekabe Tetsuya. Glad that they had the right target at least, Iemitsu stepped forwards, not entirely lowering his gun, but tilting is downwards, as he did so.

"Codename Alauda," the blond called out, watching intently as a flicker of surprise crossed the raven haired boy's features. "It has come to our intention that you were targeting the Vongola, specifically the family of the CEDEF."

A moment passed, before, to the surprise of everyone present, the young assassin scoffed.

"Don't be ridiculous, herbivore. I did no such thing."

Iemitsu grit his teeth. His family was no laughing matter! "We have intelligence that you received a hit on Sawada Tsunayoshi. Don't try to deny it."

"Your intelligence is greatly lacking if you couldn't figure out that I didn't take it."

The blond Mafioso raised his gun higher, trailing it directly upon the Japanese youth. "Then _where_ is my son?"

To his irritation, the young assassin didn't even seem fazed. "Sawada Tsunayoshi is safe. I do not harm the citizens of Namimori, past or present." Hibari paused for a moment. "However I will make an exception for you, if you do not evacuate my property."

_Past?_ Iemitsu frowned. Why did it seem as if he was completely out of the know?

The blond was about to bark another question before a voice interrupted him.

"Kyoya-kun, who's at the door?"

That high pitched voice was one he would know anywhere. Immediately, Iemitsu dropped his gun to his side, half panicking about being seen with it, and half ecstatic that his wife was alive and safe.

"Nana?" He called out.

The door opened slightly, and out peeked the brunet head of the woman he loved more than anything in the world. Wide confused eyes met his, and Iemitsu immediately felt a happy smile overtake his face.

"Nana!"

"Iemitsu..."

The blond winced. She wasn't calling him by her usual endearments.

"What are you doing here? Why do you have a gun?"

The blond visibly flinched that time, trying to find the words to explain why he'd turned up with a crew of Mafiosi and a gun at the house of a nineteen year old. Before he could reply, the low voice of a third person came from inside, and Nana looked backwards at someone. After casting one last look at her husband, she went indoors.

"Wait, Nana!" The blond called out, before he looked at Hibari. "Let me in, I want to talk to my wife."

The assassin glared, before hissing. "No. Your wife is safe, now _leave._"

"I have the right to talk to my wife!"

"This is my property herbivore." Hibari was getting visibly irritated. "If your wife doesn't want to speak to you, it is not my problem."

The CEDEF leader raised his gun once more, prepared to shoot his way in if he had to. Hibari hissed, taking out his own weapons from god knows where. The tension rose, and Iemitsu had a finger on the trigger, before a loud roaring broke the atmosphere. A motorcycle came into view, its rider clad in leather and hidden behind a helmet. Iemitsu's backup immediately had their guns trailed upon the newcomer.

"Fuck!" The rider swore in Italian, stumbling off the bike and taking off his helmet. Bright silver hair came into view, and the frowning face of Gokudera Hayato met them.

The bomber looked around in distaste before snapping something in Chinese – at least Iemitsu thought it was Chinese, it might have been in some sort of dialect – at Hibari. The assassin muttered something back in the same language, and Gokudera said something Iemitsu was sure was a curse if the reaction of Hibari was anything to go by.

The blond was getting irritated at being ignored, and he cleared his throat loudly, attracting the attention of the two conversing teens.

"Smoking Bomb Hayato, how do you know Alauda?" The bomber was a notorious lone wolf, he had few ties besides his family and doctor Shamal. There was no reason for him to be there.

Hibari snapped another phrase in the Chinese dialect, before turning around and going inside, slamming the door behind him. The silver haired teen sighed, before switching to Italian.

"Mutual acquaintance." He paused for a moment, before asking a question of his own. "And what is the Young Lion of Vongola doing here?"

Iemitsu was somewhat impressed. From what he heard, the bomber had an explosive anger problem, but it seemed he'd matured some.

"Alauda was asked to take a hit on my son." Iemitsu repeated.

"He didn't take it." Was the immediate answer. "Your family is under Hibari protection as citizens of Namimori. What's the problem?"

"He won't let me see them!" Iemitsu snapped, annoyed he was getting the same answer each time.

"If they're safe then you should be glad." The silver haired teen grimaced. "You know what the Hibari clan are like. It would be unwise to waste the resources to step on their toes just to talk to your family when you know that they're safe."

"How can we trust that you won't go aid the opposition?"

"We have no reason to do that." Another voice rang out, and the blond was honestly irritated at all these interruptions.

Everyone looked towards the doorway to see a brunet teen walk out from the house. At least, it appeared to be a teen, it was hard to tell with the medical mask on his face and thick rimmed glasses. From the distance he was at, Iemitsu couldn't tell if they actually were real or not. The newcomer had his hair pulled backwards with a band, but a few strands fell into his face. With a jolt of surprise, Iemitsu realised who it was.

"Caelum?"

"Yeah, hey."

The CEDEF leader blinked at the casual attitude of the young teen – and Caelum really was young. They didn't have a record on his age or nationality but the boy looked young, younger than they had expected really. It had been difficult to predict anything from the few pictures they had on the assassin – and even in those he was fully clad in that full body suit and mask of his. The blond thought that he must wear contacts too, given that he always appeared to have bright amber eyes rather than the brown he had there, although for the life of him the CEDEF leader couldn't tell which ones were fake. Given how well he'd hidden his appearance, it was only the presence of another mask – albeit a completely different looking one – that he recognised the assassin by.

Now with the appearance of another assassin, things were getting even more confusing. On some level, the blond was slightly reassured – Caelum had an M.O. unlike other assassins, and he only really took out the scum of the Mafia. Drug lords, Human traffickers, Pimps, he was even rumoured to be involved with the take-down of the Estraneo. The Vongola weren't the nicest family around, but they didn't go that far, so the brunet in front of him shouldn't be an enemy. Caelum wasn't the sort to help in an operation like the Vongola hunt.

On an entirely other level, Iemitsu felt slightly out of his depth. There were far too many independent assassins involved without his knowing, and this time it was his family on the line, as well as his _famaglia_. He did admit to neglecting them, often immersing himself in other work as not to be tempted to visit all the time, but still, they were just as important as Vongola to him.

"What are you doing here?" The blond asked.

Caelum seemed to look him over, an odd expression in his eyes.

"I'm staying with Hibari for a while." He said slowly. "Hayato's bringing my stuff."

Iemitsu blinked. "Wait you _live_ together? In Namimori?"

"More or less," Caelum replied, the same time Gokudera asked: "Do you have a problem with it?"

"As far as trust goes," the brunet assassin continued in an even tone. "I'm sure Hibari can be trusted to look after the citizens of Namimori. Hayato's birth family is allied with the Vongola; it's pointless for him to attack them. Plus I have friends there, so really, you shouldn't be so hostile."

The CEDEF leader sighed. He knew he was emotionally invested in this case – more so than usual, but the quiet chastisement of the brunet made him see how hot-headed he was being. It was evident that their Intel was out of date – though very few families could get any information on good freelancers, the Vongola were the best, so it really should be inexcusable. After all, if what Caelum just said was correct, he had ties with Vongola members they hadn't even known about – and such loose ends were dangerous.

"Let me call my boss."

Caelum nodded, shifting from foot to foot. "Be quick, Hibari hates people in his territory."

Seemingly content for now, the brunet assassin turned to Gokudera, who had been standing surprisingly quietly on the sidelines. Although they _did _live together, so there must be some level of trust between the two. Both teens regressed into the odd Chinese dialect the bomber had used earlier, ignoring the presence of the CEDEF leader as they talked.

Iemitsu blinked, before fishing out his phone to call the Ninth. While he was waiting, he signalled his men to stand down, and wait outside. He honestly didn't want to anger Hibari any more by letting them loiter. The phone rang a couple of times, before the tired voice of the leader of Vongola came through.

["Iemitsu? I trust everything is okay."]

The blond laughed sheepishly, but kept his voice quiet. "Fine. Hibari were keeping my family safe, but I can't get in to see them. I might have stepped on a few toes trying to speak to them. I saw a glimpse of Nana though, she looked fine."

["That's wonderful,"] The Ninth's pleased voice came over the speakers. ["However, please refrain from stepping upon any more toes. The Hibari clan are valuable to us, not only with the protection they provide for your family's home town, but also with links to the arcobaleno and the Chinese Triads. Nothing too serious happened, did it?"]

"No, no." Iemitsu reassured. "But it seems unexpected players are involved. Both Caelum and Smoking Bomb Hayato were there."

["Oh– ah, please wait a moment Iemitsu. We've finally gotten the report back from France."]

The blond nodded, before realising he couldn't be seen and spoke an affirmative. A few moments of what sounded like paper shuffling passed, before Iemitsu heard a sharp intake of breath.

"Ninth?"

["Bad news, Iemitsu."] The Vongola leader's voice was grave, shaky in some parts, but remaining even otherwise. ["We've confirmed that we've been cut off from Xanxus. The rest of the Varia survived whatever attack they were in, but two of them are in critical condition. The remaining members claim he wasn't killed, but taken – presumably to be experimented on."]

The CEDEF leader flinched. He didn't like the leader of the Varia much, but with Frederico gone missing, and his status still unconfirmed, Xanxus was the last son the Ninth had left, and the blond wouldn't wish for the man to lose all his family.

"I'll be there right away. Xanxus can still be saved, Ninth."

At the sound of the Varia leader's name, Caelum and Gokudera perked up. The brunet assassin frowned, as if contemplating something. After a few lines exchanged in the same dialect from before, he approached the blond.

"Excuse me, did you say Xanxus?"

["Please put me on loudspeaker, Iemitsu."] The voice of the Ninth carried through, and the blond man complied.

["Now, Caelum is it?"]

The brunet assassin blinked behind his glasses. "Yes."

["Would you like to inform me why you are interested in my son?"]

Caelum twitched at the wording, but otherwise replied with an even tone. "We're..." he stopped, contemplating. "Friends. He and I were going to meet up in Paris this week, but I lost contact." The young assassin paused for a moment, before continuing. "I was going to go there to find out what happened myself, but if you already know, I'd appreciate you telling me."

The Ninth seemed to consider things for a moment, before replying. ["He was captured by the Estraneo."]

Caelum hissed, and besides him Gokudera swore under his breath.

"We're going after him."

Iemitsu blinked at the rash decision, but Gokudera didn't even seem fazed. In fact, the silver haired teen simply seemed geared up and ready to go. The Ninth, unsurprisingly enough, took it all in stride.

["We will be sending someone to retrieve him; there's no need for you to go out of your way."]

The brunet gave an impression of frowning, despite the fact that most his face was hidden. "I owe Xanxus my life, a few times over. I wouldn't just sit and do nothing when I know he's in danger." And plus, they were family. If Tsuna did one thing, he made sure to take care of his own. The recent brush with danger that his mother encountered only had the sky even more on edge about those he cared for.

Seemingly expecting this answer, the Ninth replied. ["You're welcome to join the retrieval team, if you so wish."]

"Who else would be on it?" Caelum asked, glancing at Iemitsu as he did so.

["No-one you've met so far."] The Vongola leader evaded. ["Unless you would like to decline, although I must warn you, I don't suggest a solo operation. We can't have people interfering with Vongola retrieval processes lest they be mistaken for an enemy."]

Caelum sighed, resigned. The Ninth was good. "I'll join."

XXXXX

Tsuna swept through the Hibari mansion, pulling his hair free from its tie as he did so. He slipped the mask and the glasses into his pocket. A disgruntled Gokudera walked behind him.

"You can't trust them."

Tsuna sighed. "I know, Hayato."

"They're obviously using you." The bomber continued. "The Ninth managed to keep you close to keep an eye on you, but in a position where they could easily get rid of you if they wanted."

Tsuna sent the bomber a smirk. "Worried about me, Haya-chan?"

To his amusement, Gokudera blushed and spluttered. He knew better than anyone that the silver haired teen didn't have a crush on him, as many people who saw them interact assumed. It was just that the bomber was so sensitive to such comments; he tended to overreact, often in a funny way. It made it all the more fun to tease him.

"Of course I am." Gokudera muttered. "I can't support you as usual if the Vongola are running this. You'd be on your own."

"On his own, where?" A cold voice cut through the conversation, and Hibari came into view, Nana in tow. The older assassin had obviously gone to relax, the smell of tea wafting off him, presumably so he didn't murder his old partner's father. Tsuna noticed this, and thought it was sweet, in a Hibari like way.

"He agreed to join the Vongola in saving Xanxus."

Hibari frowned, and Nana looked between the two, confused.

"You're not going alone, omnivore."

"It's not like I have a choice. It's either with them, or against them."

Nana blinked. "Who's going where?"

Tsuna coughed, shifting a little on his feet. "Uh, a good friend of mine was captured. I want to save him, but I have to join up with people we might not be able trust to do it."

"Definitely can't trust." Gokudera muttered, and Tsuna discretely elbowed him. He didn't want his mother to be worrying the entire time.

"Then why can't you go with someone you do trust?" Nana tilted her head to the side in question.

The young assassin tried to seem confident under the stare of his mother. "Well for one, there's no one available–"

Hibari scoffed. "I will come with you."

"But don't you have to take care of Namimori?" Tsuna argued, subtly indicating to his mother as his did so.

"My parents will be arriving in a few days."

Tsuna blanched. Hibari's parents were fearsome. The brunet never really recovered from their first meeting. Although he couldn't really argue against their presence; they were more than capable of taking care of Namimori.

"I need to leave tomorrow." Tsuna added weakly.

"You'll be going to the Vongola base before setting off for France," Gokudera interrupted. "There's enough time for Hibari to catch up."

"Do you not want Kyoya-kun to go with you?" Nana asked, looking at him curiously.

'_Damn those innocent eyes,_' Tsuna thought. It wasn't that he didn't want Hibari with him, but he knew how dangerous it was. He'd be worrying about the prefect the entire time – despite knowing how strong the other boy was. Tsuna generally had a habit of going into danger alone, but it seemed he wouldn't be able to get away with it that time. No doubt the prefect would find a way to go after his regardless of his or Vongola's interference.

"Of course I do," the brunet relented. "Kyoya can come if he wants to."

Hibari smirked, triumphant. "As if I would let my omnivore go alone." Satisfied with the result, the prefect turned and walked away, most likely to prepare.

Tsuna felt himself going red. He buried his face in his hand, groaning to himself to the background sounds of Gokudera's protests and his mother's giggles.

* * *

><p>Omake:<p>

"No."

"You don't have a choice, herbivore."

"I said _no._"

Hibari raised an eyebrow in challenge, but amusement danced in his eyes, ad he held up the offending object that had Tsuna protesting so vehemently.

"Goddamit Hibari, get that dress away from me!"

Tsuna lashed out, as if to swat the article of clothing away, but Hibari was faster, moving it out of the brunet's attacking range.

"The mission requires for you to wear this."

Tsuna scoffed, looking at the dress in distaste. It was a soft champagne colour, made up of a silky material. There was a high waist, adorned with simply jewels from which a secondary, flowly fabric came down from. Above the waist, the bust moved into two thick shoulder straps, which was adorned with more jewels. They kept going, until cut off by the dress' low back. All in all, it was a beautiful dress that was suitable for the formal function they were going to – elegant but simple enough not to be gaudy. The cut would help accentuate his nonexistent bust, and the length would allow him to hide all manner of weapons upon his legs. That didn't mean he wanted to wear it.

Hibari sighed. "Herbivore."

Tsuna was silent for a moment, before he gave the older boy his most pleading look. "Hibari, do I _have_ to wear this?"

"Yes." The response was immediate.

"I don't even look like a girl!"

Hibari made a show of looking him over, before replying, "You'll do."

The brunet assassin made a face, but held his hand out for the dress regardless. It wasn't as if he didn't know this was the easiest and safest way to get in an out without being discovered. The target was a young heir this time (Tsuna wouldn't have liked taking a hit on someone so young, if the person wasn't equally as vile), and he could only really be caught at the one of the highly sophisticated functions that they were planning on infiltrating. It was mostly for young couples, hence the need for a dress.

But _still_, Tsuna grumbled as he removed his own clothing and struggled to find the opening in that death contraption of clothing. It wasn't as if he had to be the one who dressed up as a girl. Hibari could probably pass as a girl too.

The brunet attempted to imagine the older prefect in a dress, and promptly choked on his own spit. Try as he might, Tsuna couldn't imagine that scenario ever playing out, sadly enough.

Now, how the hell was he supposed to get in this thing?

Struggling to find an opening – was he supposed to step into it, or put it on like a jumper? – Tsuna briefly worried that it might not fit over his special new _appendages_ (much to his embarrassment, there was special underwear to make him seem more like a girl), before quickly dismissing the thought. Girls managed to fit into these things all the time, it wouldn't be _that_ difficult.

Five minutes later, the brunet found himself with his arms raised high in the air beneath the dress that was supposed to slip over his head, but was too busy being caught on his fake bust. No matter how much he wriggled, it just wouldn't _go down. _Sighing, he resolved to try the other way, and step into the dress. Hopefully the neckline would be wide enough to accompany going over his chest.

Slightly annoying with all the material in his face – because he couldn't _see _goddammit – the brunet wiggled some more, trying to get a grasp on the clothing to pull it back over his head. It proved fruitless, and feeling more irritated than ever, he wriggled harder, trying to escape the confines of the blasted silky material. A small sound that was oddly similar to _ripping_ met his ears, and the young assassin froze. Shit.

Frantically checking to make sure he didn't rip the dress – because it didn't belong to him, and he hoped Hibari himself didn't actually _own_ the thing – Tsuna failed to notice how his struggles had him moving about the small room he was changing within. It was with a yell that the brunet found himself tripping over some invisible object, landing on the floor with a painful _thunk_.

His hands still caught raised above his head, and with no means to see, the brunet was stuck wriggling about on the floor. Half fearing that he would be stuck like that forever; the young assassin called out, his voice high and panicked.

"Hibari, _help!_"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N**: It's nice to know that Xanxus being captured was surprising. I think it's fair, considering they managed to capture his brother (who by all rights is a Vongola heir) and Xanxus had to deal with that while fighting. It's sad they all die, but I'd like to think they had some sort of affection for each other.

Guest - I don't really want to give away spoilers about Vongola, but they aren't to kind to screw up. Whatever they do is intentional really. Aha, I based it off some dress I was forced into myself. You really can't get corsets on without help :A:;

* * *

><p>Takeshi looked down towards his birth town – the one in which he spent most of his life, the one where he'd lived with his mother, and got into baseball, and failed spectacularly at making friends – and sighed.<p>

'_Although, with one exception'. _The swordsman mused thinking upon the small brunet they had planned to meet.

When Mukuro had said he was looking for someone, Takeshi could never have imagined hearing such a familiar name. Tsuna was someone he'd known – or known of – his entire life, spending most of his school years in the same class as the other boy, but only knowing him as that one kid who people called '_dame'_. He was far too involved in baseball, clinging to the memories of his mother, to notice the other boy for what a good person he was. It was only until Takeshi was up upon a roof, still holding to a fast dwindling hope that some of his classmates – his 'friends' – would bring him back, before Tsuna arrived in a blaze of passion and fury, all but demanding that he get his sorry arse away from the ledge.

Tsuna has, in one way or another, saved his life. Takeshi really wanted to make friends with the boy afterwards – and no doubt Tsuna would have been a great friend – but his dad, shaken by the ordeal, decided he would flourish somewhere new; somewhere away from the painful memories of his mother, and the jeers of his classmates – a bigger town where he wasn't raised on a pedestal and expected to jump through loops to stay there. The baseball player might have protested regardless of how attractive a new start sounded, if not for a few words Tsuna had said which cut through his core and made their impact.

He had been too reliant upon other people for his mental stability, and it was dangerous, it had been what brought him to the edge of the roof in the first place. Tsuna hadn't said them as criticism, Takeshi had realised, but to give advice. The people he was relying upon weren't good people, they were selfish and childish, and completely wrecked his self esteem with their callous words. Tsuna would have been a far better candidate to rely upon – to give him the affection he missed when his mother died, and to make him feel like he was worth something.

However, Takeshi realised it would be unfair to the brunet, and any of his future friends – _real_ ones this time – to be constantly placing such a burden upon them. Tsuna might not have intended it to be so, but his words were taken very seriously, and Takeshi knew he'd have to become someone whole, who didn't need to be completed by others just so he could survive, so that when he was he could happily be whole with others. Of course, he knew that the brunet would have helped him get there, that he wasn't being shoved to the side and told to 'man up' or anything of the sort (Tsuna would never say anything of the sort) – and it made him want to be able to do this without the other boy's help even more. He still had his dad to help him, so get his out of depression and onto being someone who Tsuna could be proud to have as a friend.

So the baseball player took the chance at a new start, and resolved to get better with a burning passion, and he moved to Kyoto with his dad, and it was the best thing – besides Tsuna's appearance in his life – that had ever happened to him. Sadly enough, Tsuna had been on one of his extended trips with Hibari at the time he decided to leave – and the prefect's friendship with Tsuna was another reason Takeshi didn't want to rely upon the boy; they had such a lovely friendship, the baseball player had noticed after observing, that he would have felt far worse for getting between it. They never got to say their goodbyes, and although Takeshi left his message with the other boy's mother, he would have liked to express his gratitude to Tsuna's face.

Mukuro came up besides the swordsman, and Takeshi tore his eyes away from his birth town – which enticed such conflicting feelings within him – to look at the illusionist.

"All set?"

Mukruo nodded, humming a little in affirmation. The swordsman paused for a moment, before asking a question he'd pestered the older boy since finding Tsuna's name on his lips.

"You really aren't going to do anything bad to him?"

Mukuro sighed, but answered seriously regardless. The swordsman was grateful for the seriousness; Mukuro could be playful at the worst of times, but spending a while travelling all over Japan with the other boy had Takeshi knowing that Mukuro could understand the weight of a given situation, and could reply with some semblance of honest sincerity.

"No, I'm not."

Takeshi felt like sighing himself, because he actually believed the other boy. The baseball player always had good instincts, the past few weeks only making them sharper, and he honestly couldn't sense any malice from the illusionist. He'd have liked it more if he knew why they were looking for Tsuna, but his desire to see the other boy, and his growing faith in his skills so that he'd be able to protect Tsuna enough for him to escape – if Mukuro tried anything – won out over caution, and he'd led the illusionist to Namimori.

The baseball player smiled instead. "Good."

Mukruo seemed to be rolling his eyes in his head, but the illusionist decided to give his signature smirk in reality, before looking back towards the town. "Then let's go."

XXXXX

"Make sure you have everything packed, Tsu-kun."

The brunet huffed, exasperated, but responded regardless. "Yes, mama, I have."

"Everything?" Nana asked, and Tsuna rolled his eyes.

"Yes."

Honestly, she was treating this mission like an overnight school trip. He wasn't a blasted child, and he'd done this hundreds of times before, but Tsuna couldn't quite bring himself to snap at his mother to stop her mothering. She had his best intentions at heart, and she'd been through enough without him shooting her down for caring.

Tsuna wondered exactly how she took his father turning up, gun in hand and men on standby. She didn't talk to the man, and she didn't ask Tsuna anything after he talked to him either. The younger brunet was afraid to bring it up himself, because he honestly didn't know how he'd handle another breakdown. Iemitsu had a lot to answer for, and unfortunately, the blond man was the only one capable of providing them.

Nana patted his head fondly, a wry smile on her face. "I know you're used to this Tsu-kun, but humour me, please?"

Instantly, Tsuna's heart melted. "Of course, mama."

"Ah, you don't call me mama very often anymore." Nana gave an exaggerated sigh. "Oh, my boy is all grown up."

Tsuna ducked his head in embarrassment, much to Nana's amusement.

"And next month you'll be seventeen!" The older woman exclaimed, and Tsuna had to blink in surprise. He had entirely forgotten his birthday, although he distinctly remembered celebrating Gokudera's birthday before going on that mission and coming back to the absolute shitstorm of his house burning down, and subsequent week of hectic research while waiting for Xanxus to call. It had quite honestly slipped his mind that October was just around the corner. Honestly, he couldn't believe it had been that long – four years already. Time had flown through the hectic first year with Hibari, and then half a year later, after he'd gotten a hang of things Gokudera jumped into the picture, and it was smooth sailing since.

"Oh," Nana continued to lament, and Tsuna got a bad feeling. "You'll be old enough for a boyfriend to come along and whisk you away!"

"M-mum!" Tsuna protested, blushing in mortification. Nana might have been wilfully ignorant when it came to Iemitsu, but she was more than sharp enough to mess with her son.

The brunette laughed, deciding to stop with her teasing there. It wouldn't do for her baby to be preoccupied with thoughts of a certain someone while he was running around and getting into danger.

"Do be careful though." Nana smiled fondly at her son. "Come back home safely."

Tsuna's expression softened, and he nodded resolutely. "Of course."

In the end, everyone decided to see him off for his flight. Nana couldn't, of course, for fear of running into Iemitsu and exposing Caelum's identity of Tsuna, but they had said goodbye at the house. Gokudera used to send him off a lot more in the early days, so it was a nostalgic experience seeing him at the airport once more, less excitable than he used to be, but still wearing the same kicked puppy expression of worry. Tsuna had the urge to pat him on the head.

Both Kusekabe and Hibari stood slightly to the side, the latter almost hissing in contempt at the presence of the CEDEF leader. It was evident that the prefect wanted to be going as well, being far too impatient to wait the day it would take his parents to arrive. Tsuna gave him a reassuring look – as much as he could from behind his glasses and mask. Hibari seemed to have gotten it anyway, because he relaxed his shoulders a little, even as he returned a look that expressed his dislike.

Tsuna wanted to say something to the elder assassin, because they both knew he'd be going off to dangerous territory, and both of them having become even closer recently meant he knew that the other boy would be fretting badly until they could be reunited. Tsuna didn't really go on dangerous missions without Hibari, even after he had gotten Gokudera and gone mostly solo, and it felt odd leaving the other boy behind. It would feel odder however, to have a heart to heart with Hibari in front of his father. He didn't want to draw too much scrutiny from the older man, some part of him still silently freaking out by being a medical mask away from having his identity discovered. At least it wasn't an ordinary medical mask (being far stronger than the usual flimsy ones, and tied much more securely), and he did have another on underneath, but the brunet thought he only really got away with it because Iemitsu hadn't been home in so long that he wasn't intimately familiar with his son's appearance.

It seemed Hibari had no such qualms, shooting a venomous glare at Iemitsu until the blond looked away, before stepping closer to Tsuna and looking him in the eyes.

"Don't die, omnivore."

Tsuna nodded, a smile overcoming his face and crinkling his eyes. "Catch up soon."

Hibari gave a quick, sharp nod, and before Tsuna could convince himself not to, he rushed forwards and enveloped the older teen in a hug. Squeezing the surprised Hibari once, the brunet jumped back, blushing to the tips of his ears before he turn tailed and practically ran to the waiting aeroplane. He ducked his head with a smile as he heard the booming laughter of his father, and the loud _whack_ of a tonfa hitting flesh.

Tsuna jogged up the steps of the plane, and entered it quickly, scanning the interior for other people. Whoever he was supposed to work with in retrieving Xanxus should be on board.

The sound of a deep baritone voice from his left startled Tsuna, and he looked to find an older man clad in a classy black suit. The hitman tipped his hat as their eyes met.

"Ciaossu."

XXXXX

Stubbing out his cigarette, Gokudera glowered at the world around him. He didn't normally smoke, but he was stressed, and Tsuna had gone to visit the blasted Vongola alone, since it would take at least a day for Hibari to prepare to leave for France as well. Of course the bomber would be worried for his friend, Tsuna had saved him multiple times through the years, and Gokudera couldn't be right beside him to do the same. This time it would be Hibari's job, and the bomber might have been jealous if he wasn't so relieved to know Tsuna had someone that cared for him on this mission as well. Plus, he knew that they both cared for each other, and maybe there was some fear that Tsuna wouldn't have time for him, being with the prefect instead, he could be happy for his friend.

He could also, the bomber thought, do far more good by completing his job of information gathering. Gokudera, despite being abrasive, could in fact make contacts, and find information, and hack a little if need be. He was a strategist at heart, and Gokudera knew that they desperately needed to be in the know. If they knew who was attacking the Vongola – which included one of Tsuna's friends and family (and Gokudera knew how far the brunet went for people he cared about; Tsuna was stubborn to a fault, and relentless in caring for others), then Vongola could take care of it. Tsuna wouldn't need to be paranoid about his other – or his father, though Gokudera had a feeling the young assassin only really cared about the man's bellbeing for his mother's sake – and he wouldn't need to rush off to save anyone. Gokudera then wouldn't need to be paranoid about Vongola finding out too much about his partner – like the fact he was their CEDEF leader's only son. The Mafia were ruthless, including their most powerful _famaglia_, and Gokudera had no illusions that Vongola would leave them be if they could claim the boy for their own.

Taking in another drag of the unhealthy smoke, Gokudera huffed, watching the white tendrils disappear. He mentally reviewed the information he'd gotten so far. Gesso had been the lead he's gotten from the thugs, but the family was small – far too small to be behind the entire hunt on Vongola. Maybe they were a pawn of someone bigger, or maybe it was a one off attempt, a means to one up the strongest family while it was distracted by other attacks. Reports he had gathered from other attacks on the Vongola was far more ominous. Some had likewise encounters – thugs going to attack related civilians, but many of the members had run into something far more sinister, and it was this that had the bomber worrying so.

Image reports had shown bodied ripped in half, claw marks raking their bodies as if some animal had attacked them. Gokudera would have assumed so, if it wasn't a consistent pattern that happened in various locations across the world to Vongola members. Rumours spread in whispers across the Mafia community, wondering what on Earth could have done it, and who on Earth would stand up to the Vongola. There were far too many pleased _famaglias_, ones that Gokudera feared, would join in or support the attack against the strongest family, bringing about an all out war.

What was more disturbing was that the rumours led to one word. Estraneo.

The Estraneo were a black mark in recent Mafia history. Their involvement with the possession bullet was only the start – because despite the setback, they simply grew bigger and bigger, like a parasite, and there had only been rumours of the extent they'd go to. They had embodied the darkest part of the Mafia – doing anything for anyone. Despite numerous attempts, the possession bullet wasn't eradicated completely, and fear ran rampant, even when the Estraneo appeared to have come to a stop. Nobody knew that they went even more underground than the underground, becoming like a phantom and supplying people with increasingly gruesome weapons. The Vindice weren't getting involved without proof, especially without blatant examples of how they'd broken the law. The Estraneo had been sneaky, and nobody could fully trace things back to them so they were to an extent, untouchable.

It didn't really end until a public exposure event had occurred. Someone had gone to one of their smaller labs and found child experimentation. He'd wiped out the lab, but not before finally supplying the proof needed to convince the world just how bad the Estraneo had been. With that kick-starting it, the Vindice had swooped in like vengeful birds of prey, going hard and far in their attempts to completely eradicate the rogue family. The Vongola had gotten involved too, and with the joint efforts of them both, the scientist family were never heard of again.

Until now, at least.

Gokudera sighed and put his cigarette out; scowling when the loud and obnoxious sounds of people passing by met his ears. Honestly, it was late, and he didn't want to hear their blabbering. The bomber grimaced and prepared to ignore them – because he had gotten over most of his anger issues, and engaging would set him back, no matter how stressed he was – until the exact words of their conversation met his ears.

"... He should be in high school anyway, we can catch him tomorrow!"

"Going by the state of his house, I'd be surprised if he was still alive."

"Don't worry Mukuro. Tsuna's strong, trust me." A loud, obnoxious laugh met Gokudera's ears, before the same voice continued. "Plus he's friends with this guy called Hibari, who's really strong too. He'll be fine!"

That was it. Evidently, these two people were looking for his partner, and with how dangerous things were looking, there was no way Gokudera would just let them slip away. He kicked away from the wall he had been leaning on, walking up to the two conversing teens with an expression that could curdle milk.

"Oi, why are you two looking for Tsuna-san?"

The two boys froze, glancing at each other before glancing at him. Gokudera tensed, his hands in his pockets, already fingering the dynamite he could use to take them out. They might not have sounded hostile, but he could never know.

Then the black haired one smiled, all bright and dazzling. "Yo! I'm an old classmate of his." The teen was practically oozing charm, and Gokudera had the odd urge to look away. "Yamamoto Takeshi. Nice to meet you!"

XXXXX

Hibari glanced out the window of the sitting room, before looking back at his tea and taking a sip. It hadn't been long since Tsuna had flown off to god knows where, and it was nice for Nana that the older boy would spend some time in her company. It had only been for barely a year in which she had lived alone when her son moved out, but it had been the loneliest yet – even with Tsuna visiting as often as he could. Nana was relieved then, that even after that time apart, her son hadn't grown apart from her.

Yet it hurt the woman to let her son go off somewhere dangerous, though it seemed far too late to stop him. When he'd become so independent a while after entering middle school, Nana had refrained from restricting him in any way – far too happy he finally had friends and things that made him happy in comparison to the bullying and lack of friends he faced before that. Now it seemed a little too late to ask him not to do this, to plead for him to come home and stay home where it was safe. She had no delusions that it would be that simple, but she wished, badly that it was.

Maybe it would have been different if Iemitsu had been there, to parent besides her so that Tsuna didn't feel the need to become an assassin (and honestly, an _assassin_? Tsuna had grown up nicely of course, and she could tell he still had his morals relatively intact, but she couldn't help but feel that she'd failed him in some way). Then again, Iemitsu was also part of the mafia, so it might have not made any difference.

Nana sighed, taking a drink of her own tea. At least Tsuna had met decent people like the young Hibari, and remained decent himself – because going across the world for a friend in danger was a decent thing to do, no matter how much the action worried Nana.

"He's camping outside." Hibari's voice cut through the peaceful quiet, and Nana glanced out the window herself. She couldn't see Iemitsu – or sense him, as she suspected the teen had done, but it was obvious who 'he' was.

"I know." Nana sighed. "It's the sort of thing that he would do." The brunette smiled. "He probably won't move until I go see him."

"Will you?"

Nana tilted her head, considering. Thinking of her little boy, who was flying across the world right now, she made up her mind.

"He can out wait a night if he must."

Hibari quirked the smallest of smiles, nodding in agreement.

* * *

><p>Omake:<p>

Hibari raised an eyebrow, which was apparently Hibari-speak for 'you have got to be kidding me'. Tsuna blatantly ignored it, pointing towards to object with both a proud and hopeful look on his face.

Hibari's eye twitched, which meant he was quickly moving on from amusement and onto irritation at the brunet's sheer stupidity.

"A box." The prefect's voice was low and monotone, and probably the closest to incredulous as Tsuna was ever going to get it.

Tsuna nodded in response to the slight questioning edge in the older boy's voice. "It's perfect."

"It's stupid." Hibari snapped back, almost immediately.

"No it isn't!" Tsuna defended his box. "Haven't you ever played Metal Gear Solid? This is classic!"

The flat look on Hibari's face was all the answer the brunet got.

"I refuse to crawl around, under a _box_." Hibari hissed. "It is dirty, restricts movement, and is far more suspicious than walking around normally."

Tsuna mentally applauded himself for managing to get Hibari riled up so much. He hadn't heard the prefect say more than a sentence at once for months. The brunet sighed however, when the other boy continued to reject his brilliant idea. It wasn't as if Hibari had been any more productive in figuring out how they'd escape from that particular boiler room undetected. They'd done their job, but it seems like the body was discovered far too quickly, leaving them trapped within a building that was on high alert. Fighting their way out, Tsuna decided, was not a helpful suggestion.

"Fine." The brunet relented. "You can do things your way."

He watched as Hibari relaxed – as much as the prefect ever relaxed – before continuing. "But," Tsuna added, seeing Hibari tense up again. "I will not abandon my box. We can meet up at the checkpoint."

"The rendezvous," Hibari muttered, but he seemed content with the idea. It would be more difficult to escape together – most likely there's be a small opening, if any at all, for the exit, and it would be hard enough to be stealthy without someone else breathing down their necks. Even disregarding that, the prefect was always happily to go solo, being so adverse to human company in the first place.

"That's what I said," Tsuna replied, his eyes sparkling with excitement. It really was like real life Metal Gear Solid!

Hibari sighed at his younger companion. If he hadn't trained the other boy himself, he might have been slightly apprehensive at letting the brunet run around, all willy nilly.

"Don't die, stupid herbivore."

Hibari was off before he could get a reply, slipping through one corridor to another – his presence almost nonexistent as he went. It was far easier, the prefect summarised, than crouching around under boxes. Maybe Tsuna would learn a lesson or two, once his ridiculous plan failed spectacularly.

The assassin had to pause in his musings as a sound in front of him had him freezing. There was someone there. Hibari hid behind an alcove, wondering how he was supposed to get past unseen. There were no more doors or breaks in the corridor for a while, and even if he slipped past unnoticed, the guard simply had to turn around and he'd be exposed. There was always the option of finding another route, but the exit was _right there_ and the prefect was far too impatient for his own good.

As soon as the guard passed, the assassin rushed forwards, grabbing the man by the sides of his head and twisting it to produce an audible _snap_ of his neck breaking. The guard slumped, dead, almost immediately, and Hibari let out a tiny breath of relief.

"What the hell?"

The prefect's head snapped around immediately, and silver eyes widened almost unnoticeably as Hibari mentally cursed. The guard had been with a group.

Exiting the building, slightly too bruised for his liking, Hibari finally spared a thought for his brunet companion, hoping that the other boy likewise hadn't run into anyone. God knows how anyone would fight from under a bloody box. Either way, the prefect resolved himself for waiting a while – because it would take far longer to move around while crouching – wondering if he'd have to get Kusekabe to provide him with a diversion to get the other boy out.

Hibari walked up to the rendezvous, mind working out various possible scenarios. He glanced up, and immediately his mental processes came to a halt.

"Hey Hibari. Took you long enough."

Standing proudly upon their meeting point, box in tow (Tsuna was loath to leave it behind for some inexplicable reason), was one smiling brunet – who appeared to be entirely unharmed.

"What."

"The box worked!" Tsuna declared happily. "I told you it would– eh, Hibari? Are you alright?"

– x –

Later that night, Tsuna cackled hysterically to himself, remembering the look on Hibari's face when he'd arrived at their meeting place, under the impression that the brunet actually escaped by hiding under an empty box. The poor fool didn't notice the air vents.


	7. Horrible, disgusting AN

A/N:

I know people despises these sort of author notes but I _am_ a horrible person. I originally wanted to delete this story just to make my profile page neater, but I didn't see the harm in leaving it up. Essentially, I won't be writing it any more, because it's a generic piece of shit and I have an attention problem three miles too wide to muster up the necessary mental capacity to finish it, because it's way too long.

- Terry


End file.
